Christian Dingert awards Kevin Volland a penalty for an apparent handball against Djibril Sow, before getting a message in his ear from the VAR in Cologne. The match official heads over to the pitch-side TV to review the call, and duly overturns his initial decision. It's the right call - the ball hit Sow on the chest.

Rönnow pulls off a superb save with his feet to keep out Alario's towering downward header. Baumgartlinger can't do anything with the follow-up, and suddenly it's Frankfurt on the attack. The three-on-two ends with Bas Dost tucking away Paciencia's superb flicked pass, but the flag is up for offside. Breathtaking stuff!

Goncalo Paciencia's two goals are the difference at the break. There's been a real gulf in quality between the two sides, although Leverkusen did show signs of life towards the end of the half. Suffice to say they'll need to show a serious improvement if they're to get anything out of this one.

Frankfurt defender Almany Toure goes down off the ball with what looks like a thigh problem. David Abraham comes on, while Leverkusen coach gives Mitchell Weiser the hook. Karim Bellarabi is on in the former Hertha Berlin right-back's stead.

According to DAZN, Leverkuen have enjoyed more possession than any other club so far this season in Europe's top five leagues (77 per cent). Paris Saint-German are second on the list (68 per cent), followed by Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund (all 66 per cent).

Peter Bosz (head coach): "We are seventh at the moment. The fact you can jump from seventh to first place shows how tight it is at the top. That also means that every point is important at this stage. It does not say much about how the season will end. But, of course, we want to win every game."

Adi Hütter (Frankfurt coach): "Leverkusen are doing very well this term – they work hard, have a lot of possession, don’t concede many goals and are dangerous going forward. It's definitely a big challenge.”

Christian Dingert is tonight's match referee. The 39-year-old has overseen two Bundesliga games so far this season, handing out eight yellow cards. He'll be ably assisted by linesmen Tobias Christ and Timo Gerach, fourth official Thomas Stein, and VAR Sven Waschitzki.

Frankfurt are unbeaten in their last three league matches since losing to Augsburg on Matchday 4. The Eagles' only other league loss of the campaign came at the hands of RB Leipzig on Matchday 2. Adi Hütter's charges begin the weekend in ninth place, three points behind seventh-in-the-table Leverkusen. Peter Bosz's men are also unbeaten in their last three (W2, D1), with their single defeat of the season so far being a 4-0 reverse to Borussia Dortmund.

Lucas Alario returns to the Leverkusen starting XI after dropping to the bench in the Matchday 7 draw with RB Leipzig. The Argentina striker will go into the contest high on confidence, though, after scoring one an assisting the other from the bench in his country's recent friendly draw with Germany.

Andre Silva has scored three goals in his four Bundesliga games since joining Frankfurt on a two-year loan from AC Milan, but the Portuguese striker misses out here with a foot problem. Countryman Goncalo Paciencia and Dutch beanpole Bas Dost instead lead the line, with five league goals between them this term.

Hradecky – Weiser, Dragovic, S. Bender, Wendell – Baumgartlinger, Demirbay – Havertz, Amiri, Volland (c) – Alario. ( SUBS: Özcan, Retsos, Tah, Paulinho, L. Bender, Pohjanpalo, Diaby, Bellarabi)

Rönnow – Toure, Hasebe (c), Hinteregger – da Costa, Fernandes, Rode, Kostic – Sow – Paciencia, Dost. (SUBS : Wiedwald, Ndicka, Joveljic, Gacinovic, Kamada, Abraham, Chandler, Durm, Kohr)

Welcome along to the match centre for the game Frankfurt vs. Leverkusen from matchday 8 of the 2019/20 Bundesliga season at the Commerzbank-Arena. Check back here for full information on the match.