Leverkusen and Marseille arrive at Europa League clash from opposite ends of the spectrum

Three wins from three on one side, three losses from three on the other, but the two clubs are heading in completely opposite directions. That's the backdrop as Bayer Leverkusen and Olympique de Marseille meet Thursday, November 5, at the BayArena, in matchday 4 of the league phase of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. Kickoff is set for 5:00 p.m. (ARG/URU/CHI) and 3:00 p.m. (COL/ECU/PER), with coverage on ESPN and Disney+ Premium Plan (South America only).

The German club has stormed out of the gate in this Europa League campaign, winning all three of its opening matches and currently sharing the top spot in the standings with three other teams. Nothing short of impressive. But domestic form tells a different story: Leverkusen fell 4-2 to Stuttgart in matchday 8 of the Bundesliga, its second straight loss, leaving the club in sixth place, Conference League territory for now. A home win here would be the perfect remedy to keep pace with Europe's front-runners.

On the other side, Marseille is in urgent need of a turnaround. Three consecutive losses in the European competition have the club up against the wall if it still hopes to reach the playoff round. The good news comes from Ligue 1, where Marseille beat Toulouse 2-0 at home in matchday 9, with goals from Amine Gouiri and Amine Harit, a result that has the team sitting sixth domestically and gives it a bit of breathing room heading into this test.

Names to watch closely

In Carles Martínez's Leverkusen squad, two surnames carry extra weight for South American fans: Argentines Equi Fernández and Facundo Medina. They're joined by Lucas Vázquez, Ibrahim Maza and the team's top scorer, Patrik Schick, who remains a constant threat near the box.

At Marseille, under the direction of Bruno Genesio, the list of standout names is just as strong: Igor Paixão, Amine Gouiri, Amine Harit and Timothy Weah, son of George Weah, the 1995 Ballon d'Or winner, all part of a squad that arrives with no choice but to win.

The recent head to head between these two clubs doesn't offer many clues, since the last meeting came in a friendly on August 2, 2023, a 2-1 win for the Germans. Nadiem Amiri and Jonathan Tah scored for Leverkusen that day, while François Régis Mughe pulled one back for the French side. Now, with real points on the line, this encounter figures to play out quite differently.