Bayer Leverkusen's inconsistency is becoming the defining story of their season. A 0-1 defeat to Marseille in the Europa League on November 5 ended their perfect record in the competition and extended a worrying pattern of dropping points at critical moments. Combined with the 2-4 Bundesliga loss to Stuttgart just days earlier, the Werkself have now lost back-to-back games across two competitions, leaving them sixth in the table with 13 points from eight matches.

Coach Carles Martinez has a squad capable of beating anyone on their day, but the team's performances have been strikingly uneven. Leverkusen had won all three of their previous Europa League games without conceding, yet have now been beaten twice in their last five fixtures across all competitions. Ibrahim Maza has been a genuine bright spot, contributing four goals and three assists in twelve appearances this season, but his future is generating as much attention as his performances. PSG have been strongly linked with a winter move for the 20-year-old, and Maza himself told RTL and Sky that playing for a club like Paris would be "a great dream." Leverkusen hold firm with his contract running to 2030 and no release clause reported, but the speculation adds a layer of uncertainty to the squad.

A trip to Cologne in the Bundesliga on November 8 now arrives at a delicate moment. A positive result there would ease the pressure and restore some momentum.