Bayer Leverkusen's inconsistency has become the defining story of their season so far, and a 0-1 home defeat to Marseille in the Europa League on Thursday underlined just how fragile their momentum remains. It was a damaging result for a side that had been perfect in Europe heading into the match, winning all three previous group games without conceding. That unbeaten European record is now gone, and the loss follows a 2-4 Bundesliga defeat to a struggling VfB Stuttgart side, leaving coach Carles Martinez searching for answers about why his team's performances fluctuate so sharply.

In the league, Leverkusen sit sixth with 13 points from eight games, closer to the chasing pack than the top of the table. The squad clearly has quality. Patrik Schick scored in six consecutive Bundesliga matches earlier in the season, and Ibrahim Maza has contributed seven goal involvements in twelve appearances. Yet the team has not found a way to string results together consistently.

Maza himself has become a story beyond the pitch. The 20-year-old told RTL and Sky that playing for Paris Saint-Germain would be "a great dream," fuelling speculation about a winter move after PSG identified him as a potential replacement for the injured Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Leverkusen hold firm with his contract running until 2030 and no release clause reported, but the noise around him adds an unsettled dimension to the club's situation. Next up is a Bundesliga trip to FC Koeln on November 8.