Carles Martinez has asked Bayer Leverkusen to defend as a collective as they prepare to face Marseille on Thursday, with their perfect start to the Europa League now under pressure. Leverkusen have gone three games without a clean sheet, a run that has sharpened the focus on how they handle the next step.
The timing matters because Leverkusen are still unbeaten in the competition and sit second in the 36-team standings, one of only a handful of sides with a 100% record. Marseille arrive with six points from three matches, so this is not a routine checkpoint for either side, and it is being searched now because the matchup sits right at the point where one team’s perfect start could change shape.
Martinez did not frame the issue as one defender’s fault. He said the whole team must take responsibility, adding that football has to be seen as a collective effort and that it is important to keep that in mind. That message matters because Leverkusen have the strongest numbers in the Europa League so far — 11 expected goals, 72 shots, 33 on target and eight goals without conceding — yet the same team has also allowed nine goals in its last three Bundesliga outings.
That split explains why the concern feels real. In Europe, Leverkusen have been spotless and have won seven and drawn three of their last 10 home Europa League matches, scoring 2.6 goals per game on average in that run. In the Bundesliga, though, they have conceded 16 goals and only five teams have let in more. The contrast suggests the defensive problem is less about one competition than about what happens when the shape breaks down, when the pressure on the ball drops and when the back line is left to solve too much alone.
Marseille are not arriving as a soft landing. Martinez called them a great team, noted the changes that came with a new coach and new players, and said they are improving. Facundo Medina echoed that feeling from the other side, describing Marseille as well organised, full of experienced players, and warning that the match will be tough and very physical. He said Marseille can take the three points if they go onto the pitch with the right mentality and ambition.
There is also a European edge to the meeting that gives it more bite. Marseille have lost their last five major European matches and scored only one goal in that stretch, while Leverkusen have never faced them in European competition. The German side also knows what can happen when a big home European night slips, after losing 7-2 at home to Paris Saint-Germain in October 2025. Thursday at the BayArena is a chance to show that their domestic wobble does not have to spill into Europe — but it is also the first real test of whether Martinez’s call for a collective response can hold up under pressure.
