'Disappointed' Martinez demands reaction from Leverkusen in Köln derby

Carles Martinez says Bayer Leverkusen need a strong performance to beat fierce rivals Köln and shake off the disappointment of their midweek Europa League defeat.

Leverkusen, who have managed just one win in their last four games in all competitions, return to Bundesliga action on Sunday aiming to get back on track.

A classy late goal from Amine Gouiri gave Marseille a 1-0 win on Thursday, handing Leverkusen their first Europa League defeat of the season. Despite that result, they remain in the top eight of the 36-team table, and their attention has now turned fully to the league ahead of the international break.

Leverkusen, beaten 4-2 by Stuttgart in their last league outing, sit sixth and have already fallen five points behind leaders Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

Martinez, who will experience the rivalry for the first time, said he is well aware of what a victory would mean not only for the team but also for the supporters:

"Of course we still feel the disappointment of Thursday's game, but we are now fully focused on Sunday. I spoke to people at the club to learn what these matches between Leverkusen and Köln feel like. We all know the importance of this derby. We have to give our very best to take the three points, and that is what we want."

However, Martinez is having to cope with injuries to several key players, including Nathan Tella, Martin Terrier, Eliesse Ben Seghir and Moussa Diaby.

Those absences have placed the attacking burden on the shoulders of 30-year-old Patrik Schick and Ibrahim Maza, who has made a superb start to the season. Maza recently scored his third Bundesliga goal, already matching his total from last season.

Among under-21 players in the Bundesliga this season, only RB Leipzig's Tidiam Gomis has scored as many goals. Maza is also the third player in the league for most shots (44), behind Michael Olise (64) and Harry Kane (54).

Martinez admitted his team are tired but stressed that this cannot be an excuse for their performances in recent weeks:

"I don't want to talk too much about the physical condition. But we were not at the required level, even mentally. We didn't have enough energy on the pitch."

Players to watch

Köln: Said El Mala

Köln have made a difficult start to the season and are struggling for productivity in attack. El Mala and Thijs Dallinga are the team's top scorers in the Bundesliga with two goals each. El Mala has not found the net in the league since the Borussia Mönchengladbach game on 11 October, but last week he scored two goals and provided one assist in a 5-0 DFB-Pokal win over Union Berlin.

Bayer Leverkusen: Patrik Schick

Schick has scored in seven of the eight Bundesliga matches he has played this season (seven goals). The only player in the club's history to have scored more goals after eight matches was Patrick Helmes, who reached eight goals in the 2008-09 season.