Eintracht Frankfurt headed into their Bundesliga game against Fortuna Dusseldorf away from home looking for a win that would have placed them in the top three.
However, goals from Stefan Reisinger, Oliver Fink, Nando Rafael and Axel Bellinghausen saw the home side win the contest 4-0 that also had Frankfurt forward Karim Matmour controversially sent off in the 34th minute.
Read how it all unfolded in our minute-by minute live commentary below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole’s live minute-by-minute text commentary of the Bundesliga encounter between Fortuna Dusseldorf and Eintracht Frankfurt. It promises to be an entertaining encounter, and you can follow all the action live here.
Heading into tonight’s match, visitors Frankfurt find themselves fifth in the Bundesliga table with 24 points from 14 matches, and will go level on points with second-place Bayer Leverkusen if they win tonight.
On the other hand, On the other hand, Dusseldorf are 14th in the standings with 15 points, just three points above the relegation zone.
Team news coming up now...
Fortuna Dusseldorf: Giefer, Balogun, Juanan, Bodzek, Van den Bergh, Fink, Bellinghausen, Lambertz, Reisinger, Ilso, Rafael
Eintracht Frankfurt: Trapp, Demidov, Oczipka, Jung, Kempf, Inui, Lanig, Aigner, Rode, Meier, Matmour
It is just 10 minutes to kickoff at the Esprit Arena, and the anticipation is building.
Five minutes to kickoff, and the players are getting ready to come on to the pitch. Stay on this page for all the action from what should an exciting game of football.
The players are on the pitch now and are warming up for the match. Frankfurt will be the favourites to win this match, but Dusseldorf at home are no easy pushovers.
It's just a matter of time before the match kicks off. The stadium is packed, it seems, and the atmosphere is electric.
The kickoff has been slightly delayed because of traffic problems. But it should start in a few minutes' time.
And off we go, with Dusseldorf kicking off proceedings...
Dusseldorf may be struggling just above the relegation zone, but they are coming on the back of a 1-1 draw with defending German champions Borussia Dortmund away from home. Frankfurt will find it hard to win tonight, I reckon.
It has been a slow start to the contest, as the home side try to launch an attack down the left flank, but the final cross is cleared away with ease.
Both sides are sizing up each other at the moment. Things are pretty much even really.
Takashi Inui tries to run down the right flank following a corner, but he is stopped in his track before he can get his momentum going. Inui has been one of the best players for Frankfurt this season, and Dusseldorf need to pay special attention to him.
GIEFER! Sebastian Jung takes a left-footed attempt on goal from outside the visitors' box, but the Frankfurt goalkeeper makes a good save.
Brilliant tackle there from Marc-Oliver Kempf. Nando Rafael is sent through on goal, but the Frankfurt defender makes a brilliant challenge on him inside his own penalty box, and the ball goes out for a corner.
The two sets of supporters are quiet at the moment. If you are wondering why, here is the reason: Supporters in Germany have agreed not to make much noise in the opening 12 minutes of matches to protest against the ban on bringing fireworks to games.
The 12-minute mark is passed, and the supporters are back on song. As a matter of fact, Frankfurt supporters have actually set off fireworks!
Fifteen minutes gone, and it is goalless between Fortuna Dusseldorf and Eintracht Frankfurt. It has been largely a quiet game, to be honest.
CHANCE! Oliver Fink takes an attempt from distance but his effort harmless overly the Frankfurt crossbar.
Another chance there for Dusseldorf. A corner is floated in that finds its way to Adam Bodzek, whose shot from an acute angle on the left is parried out for another corner by Kevin Trapp.
Lambertz! Brilliant run there from Dusseldorf's Leon Balogun, who gallops down the right wing and whips in a low cross that Andreas Lambertz narrowly fails to turn in from just yards out.
The home side have eased into the game and are creating some very good attacking moves. The match is in full swing now.
Karim Matmour goes into the referee's book for a rash lunge on Dusseldorf defender Adam Bodzek inside the home side's penalty box. He is the first player to be shown the yellow card in this match.
MATMOUR! The Frankfurt striker heads towards goal as a lovely cross comes towards him, but Giefer collects it with ease.
A little piece of information on the starting lineup for you. Robbie Kruse was actually named in the Dusserdorf starting xi, but the Australian striker picked up an injury during the warm-up and was replaced by Nando Rafael.
Once again Matmour tests Giefer, and once again the goalkeeper makes a comfortable catch of the ball. Half an hour gone, and it is goalless.
I must admit that this has not been one of the best matches I have seen so far this season, but the crowd is doing everything it can to lift up the players. The two sides are canceling out each other at the moment.
Good attacking move from the home side again, but the Frankfurt defence is alert and clears away the ball with ease.
RED CARD Karim Matmour has been sent off! The Frankfurt forward's challenge on Stefan Reisinger on the right wing is deemed to a yellow card offence, and he has been dismissed. He was already on a yellow card.
The visitors are now down to just 10 men, and I have to say that they were harshly treated. Matmour's second foul was not at all worthy of a yellow card.
What does this mean tactically for the visitors then? Frankfurt are without a centre-forward at the moment, which means that Alexander Meier will move upfront on his own and Takashi Inui will slot in behind him.
GOAL Stefan Reisinger scores and makes it 1-0 to Fortuna! He picks up the ball way outside the Frankfurt area and then threads his way into the box and shoots home past Kevin Trapp.
Another chance there for the home side, this time Ken Ilso trying to send Nando Rafael through from the right, but his cross is blocked.
GOAL Oliver Fink scores and makes it 2-0 to Fortuna! A right-wing cross falls to the midfielder, who turns his marker and curls the ball beautifully into the net.
How the match has changed since the 35-minute mark! First Karim Matmour was harshly sent off for Frankfurt, then Stefan Reisinger shot home the opening goal and now Oliver Fink has curled in a beauty from outside the penalty area for Fortuna.
One minute of injury time has been awarded here...
It is half-time in Dusseldorf and the home side are 2-0 up. Goals from Stefan Reisinger and Oliver Fink in the final 10 minutes of the first half have given Fortuna a 2-0 lead against Eintracht Frankfurt at the break. Both goals came after the visitors' Karim Matmour was shown what I believe was an unjust second yellow card.
Aside from the action in the final 10 minutes, it was a largely quiet and even first half. But Fortuna have the all-important lead, as they are 2-0 up at the break. Stay here to catch all the action from the second half live.
The second-half action will kick off in a matter of minutes now. Fortuna lead Frankfurt 2-0 from the first half.
The Fortuna players are now on the pitch, as the second half will begin soon. The Frankfurt players have yet to come out on the pitch.
Frankfurt will make a change at the break. The visiting players are still not out on the pitch.
Stefano Celozzi comes on for Martin Lanig, as the rest of the Frankfurt team are now back on the pitch. They were a bit late, I believe.
And now the second half is underway. It is 2-0 to Fortuna Dusseldorf against Eintracht Frankfurt, thanks to first-half goals from Stefan Reisinger and Oliver Fink. The visitors are a man down because of the dismissal of Karim Matmour.
Oh, Nando Rafael is sent through on goal, but the assistant referee raises the offside flag.
The home supporters are in full voice. They will surely like their side to score more goals in the second half.
The Fortuna players are hogging possession at the moment, as Frankfurt are firmly on the backfoot. The visitors are actually playing without a recognised centre-forward.
Oliver Fink takes an attempt on the Frankfurt goal, but it sails high and wide. Still 2-0 to the home side.
AIGNER! Stefan Aigner heads a left-wing delivery from Bastian Oczipka towards goal from close range that puts Fabian Giefer in a fix for a moment or two. Frankfurt are not entirely out of the game yet.
The visitors are now pressing on and are controlling possession inside the Fortuna half of the pitch.
Fink goes into the referee's book now for his challenge on Sebastian Rode.
GOAL Nando Rafael scores and makes it 3-0 to Fortuna! Terrible defending there from Frankfurt, as Leon Balogun sends in a cross from the right flank that eventually falls to Rafael, who someone tucks the ball in from close range.
Half an hour left in this match, and it is 3-0 to Fortuna Dusseldorf. At this point, you would be pardoned to believe that the home side have done enough to bag maximum points from this fixture.
The match has gone a bit flat, but that is not unexpected. Fortuna Dusseldorf are 3-0 up and they have pretty much wrapped up the points.
Balogun once again gets the ball down the right but this time he is unable to get on with one of his marauding runs. Balogun, by the way, was shown a yellow card three minutes ago for his challenge on Alexander Meier.
Now Rode shoots from outside the box, but his attempt is off target.
Meier is now shown the yellow card for a rather cynical challenge on Ilso.
SUBSTITUTION. Nando Rafael goes off and on comes Dani Schahin for Fortuna.
SUBSTITUTION. Frankfurt make a change now. Dorge Kouemaha comes on for Takashi Inui, who has been largely anonymous tonight.
Another yellow card to a Frankfurt player, this time Stefano Celozzi going into the referee's book and conceding a free kick to Fortuna from a very dangerous position.
Poor free kick there from Ilso, as the ball goes harmlessly wide, with Trapp not troubled at all.
Another change for the home side, as Cha Du-Ri replaces Leon Balogun.
Fifteen minutes of normal time remain at the Esprit Arena. Fortuna still lead 3-0, as Frankfurt are showing no sign of even attempting a comeback.
Good play there from the home side, as Oliver Fink goes close with his shot from a Johannes van den Bergh cross.
Disappointing cross there in the end for Fortuna. Another good attacking move sees the home side run down the right flank, but the final cross goes out of play.
Stefan Reisinger goes off for Fortuna and in his place comes Ronny Garbuschewski. Frankfurt too make a change, with Benjamin Kohler coming on for Sebastian Rode.
GOAL Axel Bellinghausen scores and makes it 4-0 to the home side! Fortuna attack in droves and Frankfurt fail to defend properly, and when the loose ball falls to Bellinghausen inside the area, he makes no mistake.
Three minutes of normal time remain. Fortuna Dusseldorf lead Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0 at home.
The crowd is in loud voice at the moment and are cheering Fortuna on for another goal. The hosts, though, are taking it easy at the moment.
Garbuschewski gets the ball on the right and whips in a cross across the face of the goal, but there is no player in a red shirt to turn it home.
It’s all over at the Esprit Arena as Fortuna Dusseldorf have defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0. Goals from Stefan Reisinger, Oliver Fink, Nando Rafael and Axel Bellinghausen saw the home side bag maximum points.
However, it was the sending-off of Frankfurt forward Karim Matmour in the 34th minute that proved to be decisive. It was a questionable decision, to say the least.
I hope that you enjoyed our live coverage of the game here on Sports Mole. Have a good night. It’s goodbye from me for now.
