Kasper Hjulmand says Bayer Leverkusen "know where we stand" after their 1-0 defeat to Hoffenheim, but urged them to be more effective.

Wouter Burger scored the deciding goal for high-flying Hoffenheim, condemning Leverkusen to a second consecutive defeat, having lost 4-1 to Stuttgart last weekend.

As such, Leverkusen have slipped down to sixth in the table, though they are only three points behind fourth-placed RB Leipzig.

It was a familiar frustration for Hjulmand's side, though, as Burger's free-kick was the 12th goal they have conceded in the Bundesliga from set-pieces this season.

"It was a close game where we also had our chances," Hjulmand said.

"We didn't put in our best performance, and we need to improve; we didn't find the right solutions, especially in the first 15 minutes.

"We know where we stand. We've also played very well against direct rivals. We are looking ahead and have every opportunity to be more effective."

Leverkusen had just eight shots against Hoffenheim, with only two of those on target, as they accumulated 1.0 expected goals.

And captain Robert Andrich admitted they need to do better if they are to stay in the mix at the top.

"We didn't manage to cause them enough problems," he said.

"We didn't make the right decisions at the right moment. That's exactly what we've missed in the two games after the winter break."