Self-criticism at Bayer Leverkusen after first European defeat

Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes said the team felt a lack of quality in a chance-starved Europa League contest that ended in a 1-0 defeat to Marseille.

The German side suffered their first defeat in European competition this season, with the goal that earned Marseille three points arriving in the 77th minute through a stylish finish from Amine Gouiri.

In a match where clear chances were in very short supply, Leverkusen came close to an equaliser in the closing stages through Patrik Schick, but the Czech striker's header was held by goalkeeper Jeffrey de Lange.

Having won their first three matches in the Europa League, Leverkusen can hardly regard this defeat as a major blow, for now, to their aim of progressing directly from the group stage to the last 16. However, the Werkself have lost three of their last four competitive matches and, after a flawless start at the BayArena, have now suffered back-to-back home defeats in all competitions.

Rolfes acknowledged that the side had struggled to reach their best level, but remained positive about the overall situation in the group. In his statement, Rolfes said: "It was a game with few chances and we were careless in a single moment. We should have been better in terms of the quality of our passing. We did not put in a very good performance; even so, we have 9 of the 12 points available in the Europa League."

Leverkusen had 10 shots with 3 on target in the match but generated just 0.9 expected goals (xG), while Marseille had 8 attempts in total, including 2 on target that tested goalkeeper Mark Flekken.

The result also brought to an end Leverkusen's 10-match unbeaten home run in the Europa League (7 wins, 3 draws). The German side had averaged 2.6 goals per game over that sequence.