Eintracht Frankfurt hosted Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga hoping to open up a 10 points gap between the two sides.
As it happened, a 1-0 away win cut the gap to just four and catapulted Gladbach from 10th to sixth in the table.
Luuk de Jong's first-half header and some dogged away defending proved decisive as Gladbach ran out winners, with the hosts squandering a number of chances, Takashi Inui particularly wasteful.
Read how the action unfolded below with our live commentary.
Gladbach enjoy a good night and I hope you have too. Thanks for joining me for this one. Be sure to stay on the site for reaction and news. At least read our report of the action. Goodbye.
They've defended heroically and they've clung on for a vital three points. Instead of the gap between the teams being 10 points, its now four and the visitors move up to sixth.
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FULL-TIME: Frankfurt 0-1 Monchengladbach
Trapp is up in the box but Gladbach have been so solid! Ter Stegen hangs on and that must be it.
Time's almost up here. Almost every Gladbach player is in his own box, they don't want to give this up! Mlapa gives away a free kick unnecessarily late on.
Veh risks being sent to the stands after Shwegler goes into the book for a somewhat reckless lunge.
CHANCE! It's swung in by Oczipka, Aigner jumps and puts his header wide at the far post.
Only Hanke is anywhere near the Frankfurt half now. Stranzl is deemed to have fouled Celozzi in a dangerous position to the right of the box. A little harsh perhaps, but a chance...
Gladbach are looking a tough desperate at the back now, but they're effective enough. That was a great tackle just then from Marx to stop the danger of a Rode cross.
The substitutions have served to slow the flow of the game, which is good from a Gladbach point of view! Mlapa gives away a free kick by barging into Schwegler, and Frankfurt come again.
GLADBACH SUB: Final sub for the visitors. Hermann comes off for Lukas Rupp.
BOOKING: Rode follows him into the book for a clip on Nordtveit. That's his fifth of the season and he'll miss the next game.
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CHANCE! Oh dear Inui. Selfish again. Frankfurt break after Daems is caught short by Rode and fires over from distance with Meier well placed. Daems goes into the book for a late lunge when losing out to Rode.
How can the Gladbach subs alter the flow of the game? At the moment, Frankfurt are still the side coming forward doing the pressing. They win another corner, which Ter Stegen punches and Schwegler strikes a half-volley not too far over the bar. Decent effort.
GLADBACH SUB: The departing Mike Hanke comes on for Younes.
Shout for a penalty as Wendt shoulder-charges Jung. He went down far too easily for my liking, correct call.
GLADBACH SUB: Mlapa comes on in place of the goalscorer De Jong.
CHANCE! Another excellent chance falls Frankfurt's way! Oczipka whips in a delicious ball that finds Aigner in space in the box, but he directs his header over the bar. There wasn't a lot of pressure and he should have at least hit the target.
CHANCE! Inui, this time offide, again gets in down the left flank. This time he goes for goal from a tight angle but Ter Stegen does well to put it wide. Inui could have had a hat-trick tonight with an end product.
BOOKING: De Jong is the next to go into the book by tugging back Zambrano. He cannot complain about that, it was a silly foul really.
The former Atletico Madrid man Dominguez is still meeting almost every cross into his box. He's been superb and has another 20 or so minutes to keep it up.
De Jong is back in the box heading away crosses now, this time from Jung. He gets up the other end and is almost found by Younes with a clever flick, but they just cannot quite counter.
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Frankfurt have a free kick in a decent position after a foul from Hermann... They work it into the box and win another corner. Sustained pressure now from the hosts.
Can Gladbach hold on? They're being pressed and harried by their hosts now. I can't recall the last time the visitos had the ball in the Frankfurt half. Still, though, no real chances as Dominguez clears behind for a corner.
Still Frankfurt come forward and still the visitors are strong at the back. In the end Gladbach draw the foul from Inui and they have a moment to breathe.
Frankfurt finally get a bit of possession, but the chance ends with Celozzi firing a cross over the bar. Gladbach definitely looking stronger after the good start to this half from the hosts.
Frankfurt just can't get it away. Another couple of corners come in and they keep having to put it behind their own goal. Before finally they win the goal kick.
BOOKING: Bamba Anderson is booked for kicking the ball away but Gladbach have a free kick just outside the box. Nordtveit's shot is blocked and it's wide for a corner.
CHANCE! Zambrano hacks a clearance up into the air and De Jong goes up with Trapp, but the keeper just gets it clear.
Another couple of Frankfurt shots are blocked, the second from Jung and at the other end De Jong gives away a free kick. Rightly no card.
CHANCE! What a chance that is by Inui! Meier pokes it through to him, he's beaten the offside trap but he puts it over with the outside of his boot! Should score.
The start of this half has been a little scrappy. Younes goes for goal nearly from the half-way line, but it's just a shade too ambitious. Frankfurt with the majority of the early possession.
Aigner looks like he will be up front now, with Celozzi moving into the midfield trio behind him.
We're back underway.
I was wrong. Veh brings on Celozzi for Lakic.
Not long left now until the resumption of play. I'm still sticking with my 2-1 prediction. I can see Gladbach snatching a second before Frankfurt pull one back.
I don't think Armin Veh will be tempted to make any substitutions just yet, but if his side are still looking unlikely to break Gladbach down, we could see some around to 60 minute mark.
It's been pretty even, if Frankfurt have perhaps been the better team. Right at the start Inui had a good chance, but scuffed his effort at Ter Stegen. They had another slight opening after a dreadful defensive pass from Wendt but were unable to capitalise.
So De Jong's header from a flicked-on Nordtveit corner is the only goal of the half. In truth, there were only a few chances and no real clear-cut ones. The lapse at that corner was the only defensive mistake from the hosts and it has proven costly.
HALF-TIME: Frankfurt 0-1 Monchengladbach
Gladbach force Frankfurt back in the one minute of stoppage time and they nearly break through Hermann, but it comes to nothing.
Frankfurt are doing all the pressing as this one draws to a close, but they still can't see the white of Ter Stegen's eyes.
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Meier is looking more and more frustrated as the half goes on. This time he's penalised for a handball and another attack breaks down. The football has hardly flowed in this one, yet it's been quite interesting thus far.
CHANCE! Inui does really well in the box on the left hand side, cutting on to his right foot and clipping a cross in for Meier. It was a tricky header and he can only plant it just wide of the post.
Trapp picks out Inui with a superb kick from his area, but the Japanese loses possession and the chance to counter goes with it. Now they're being more patient, waiting for the chance to open up.
Gladbach look to slow down a frantic few minutes with some passing in their own half. It breaks down as they reach the Frankfurt third, however.
CHANCE! A poor pass from Wendt is cut out from Rode, who finds Aigner who looks for Lakic, but by the time he shoots Gladbach are back to block. They just weren't quick enough on the three-on-two situation.
Poor effort from Lakic, who spins on the edge of the box but toe-pokes a shot wide.
Nordtveit goes for goes from 30 yards, but it takes a deflection off his own player Alvaro Dominguez and easily into the arms of Trapp. Frankfurt escape a nervy couple of minutes.
Now one in an even better spot, as his delivery is ruled as a handball against Lakic I believe.
BOOKING! Zambrano goes into the book for an overly strong aerial challenge. his arms were up on De Jong and he can't really ocmplain about that. It's a free kick in a decent spot for Nordtveit.
They've been on top of the possession since the goal, Frankfurt, but there's suddenly no way through a dogged wall of players in white. They're the ones breaking now as Hermann finds Younes, whose shot is poor and easily blocked.
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CHANCE! Really good combination defending by Jantschke and Stranzl, who just about keep Lakic from reaching the ball.
How can Frankfurt respond? Suddenly it's Gladbach playing the pressing, pressure game and are really battling now they've got themselves ahead.
CHANCE! Another set piece is not dealt with by Frankfurt and this time Jantschke is left free. He cannot turn the deep free kick in, however. That could have been 2-0 in as many minutes.
First Marx should score after a Hermann cut back, but instead it's cleared for a corner. From that, however, it's flicked on in the air into the path of De Jong, who guides a header into the top corner. First blood Gladbach!
GOAL! Frankfurt 0-1 Gladbach (De Jong)
No really good chances as yet. The best was Inui's right at the start but since then the defences have been on top. Good work between Oczipka and Rode there, before Gladbach break. Daems finds himself in the box at an angle from the counter, but pulls his shot way wide and it doesn't even go out of play.
There's a bit of a lull in this now as both sides seem unable to hang on to the ball.
De Jong rises highest from the delivery but can't keep it down. Goal kick.
Inui whips in a great cross from the byline, but as it comes back in after being headed away there's an offside in the middle and the chance goes. Straight up the other end Hermann wins a corner for the visitors.
Gladbach are still losing out nearly every time they get into the hosts' half. This time Frankfurt break through Aigner and win a corner.
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Despite being the home team, Frankfurt's stall appears to be to play on the break. They're happy to let Gladbach pass it around the back. This time trying to win it back, however, Rode gives away a free kick.
After the excitement at the other end, Gladbach try again to work some possession in the Frankfurt third. They can't however, and Frankfurt break through Oczipka. He runs it out of play, though.
Inui is flagged offside cutting in from the left flank, but he wasn't, looking at the replay. Fortunately for the linesman he scuffed his effort.
Again there's good pressure from Frankfurt, forcing Gladbach into a rushed long ball. At the other end Jung attempts a centre but the away side clear their lines. Only as far as Frankfurt, who look to come right back at them.
Trapp forced into a bit of sweeper-keeping as De Jong is played through over the top. At the other end Meier gets on the end of a cross but his header goes harmlessly wide. Lively start to this one.
Gladbach now getting themselves into the game with a spell of possession. However, they go long as they have on a few occasions so far and Frankfurt are back on the ball.
CHANCE! First hint of an opening for the hosts, as Lakic plays in Inui, but he sidefoots straight at Ter Stegen. Good start from the hosts.
Gladbach kick us off...
Just a couple of minutes away from kickoff now. Prediction time? Alright. Gladback to upset the odds: 2-1. Don't blame me when you lose money, though.
A quick look at the odds tells me that Frankfurt are favourites tonight. You can back them at around about evens, with Gladbach back at roughly 3/1 with some bookies.
Gladbach are certainly in need of a kick up the proverbial. They have just two points from a possible 12, although a positive for the neutral is that their games have had 12 goals.
They haven't scored in their last three games, however. Two of those coming at home. The other a 3-0 defeat to a Reus-inspired Borussia Dortmund. Both home games ended 0-0, so let's hope there's not a third in a row.
Frankfurt have not really excelled in attack or defence this season, rather they've been very solid in both areas. That said, Alexander Meier has 12 goals and Stefan Aigner seven from a very attacking midfield trio, also including Takashi Inui, who has five goals.
If you agree with Hans-Gunter Bruns you'll think that Gladbach have yet to replace Marco Reus and Dante. In terms of the former, they could certainly do with his goals. Currently Patrick Hermann is their top scorer from midfield with six. Luuk de Jong has just three.
GLADBACH XI: Ter Stegen; Jantschke, Stranzl, Dominguez, Daems; Herrmann, Marx, Nordtveit, Wendt; Younes, De Jong
FRANKFURT XI: Trapp; Zambrano, Jung, Bamba, Oczipka; Aigner, Inui; Meier, Schwegler, Rode; Lakic
The teams are in and I'll bring them right to you.
We have one of the league's surprise packages so far this season in Eintracht Frankfurt up against the disappointing Borussia Monchengladbach. Frankfurt will really put the pressure on Bayer Leverkusen with a win, while the visitors would leap from 10th to sixth with victory.
Good evening everyone and thanks for joining me tonight for the live Bundesliga action!
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
