Bayer Leverkusen vs. Koln Bundesliga preview, Digi Mart USA News: Carles Martinez knows Bayer Leverkusen will need a big performance to beat rivals Koln and move on from the frustration of their midweek defeat in the Europa League.
Leverkusen return to Bundesliga action on Sunday, aiming to get back to winning ways after managing just one victory in their last four matches across all competitions. Martinez watched as his team suffered their first Europa League defeat of the season on Thursday, when Amine Gouiri’s late stunner earned Marseille a 1-0 win.
Despite the loss, Leverkusen remain inside the top eight of the 36-team Europa League standings, but their attention now turns to the Bundesliga before the international break. In the league, Leverkusen are sixth and already five points behind leaders Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund after a 4-2 defeat to Stuttgart in their last Bundesliga match.
This will be the first time Martinez has experienced this rivalry, and he was clear about what a win would mean for the team and its supporters. “Obviously we’re still frustrated about Thursday, but our focus is now fully on Sunday,” Martinez told reporters.
“I’ve spoken to people in the club to find out how these games between Leverkusen and Koln feel. We all know the significance of this meeting.
We want to and must give our maximum to get three points.”
Martinez has had to deal with several injury absentees, with Nathan Tella, Martin Terrier, Eliesse Ben Seghir and Moussa Diaby all unavailable. The attacking emphasis has therefore fallen on 30-year-old Patrik Schick and Ibrahim Maza, with Maza enjoying a strong start to the campaign.
Maza recently scored his third Bundesliga goal of the season, equaling his tally from the previous campaign. Among all players under 21 in the Bundesliga this season, only RB Leipzig’s Tidiam Gomis has scored as many goals.
Across the league, Maza has the third-most shot involvements (44), behind Michael Olise (64) and Harry Kane (54).
Martinez acknowledged his team were tired but said that was no excuse for recent performances. “I don’t want to talk too much about the physical condition.
But we weren’t up to par. Not even mentally,” Martinez added.
“We didn’t have enough energy on the pitch.”
Koln’s difficult start to the season has seen them struggle in the final third. El Mala and Thijs Dallinga are their top Bundesliga scorers this season with two goals each.
El Mala has not found the net in the league since October 11 against Borussia Monchengladbach, though he scored twice and provided an assist in Koln’s 5-0 win over Union Berlin in the DFB-Pokal last week.
Schick has scored in seven of his eight Bundesliga appearances this season, with seven goals. Only Patrick Helmes in 2008-09 (eight) scored more goals after eight matches of a top-flight campaign for Leverkusen.
Schick has also scored five goals in seven Bundesliga appearances against Koln and is three goals away from his 100th Bundesliga goal (currently 97).
Leverkusen have won their last five matches against Koln in all competitions, and have scored multiple goals in each of those games. Their poor form this season includes 13 points from eight matches, their worst Bundesliga start in four years, and two consecutive league defeats for the first time since January 2026.
Leverkusen have also struggled on the road, winning only one of their last five Bundesliga away games while losing three. They have conceded 16 goals in their first eight Bundesliga matches this season, more than at this stage of any campaign in their 47 previous Bundesliga seasons except 1981-82 (18) and 1982-83 (21).
Koln, meanwhile, have picked up eight of their nine Bundesliga points this season at home. They could remain unbeaten in their first five home Bundesliga games of a season for only the third time in the last 34 years, having previously done so in 2016-17 and 2021-22.
