Havertz has the chance to go for goal and complete his hat-trick. He instead looks to find team-mate Diaby, and that proves to be a bad decision as the ball deflects through to Sommer.
90'
Three minutes have been added on at the end of the match at Borussia-Park.
89'
The jeopardy has been taken out of the game since Bender added a third for Leverkusen. The visiting side are now just a few minutes away from a truly massive win in the grand scheme of things.
87'
Gladbach appeal for handball against Havertz in the Leverkusen box, but the referee does not point to the spot. The ball did pop up and hit the midfielder on the arm, though the officials clearly deem it too harsh to award a spot-kick.
81'
S. Bender has scored a goal for Bayer Leverkusen! Assist by K. Demirbay.
J. Baumgartlinger enters the game and replaces A. Dragović.
Baumgartlinger is on and Austrian compatriot Dragovic off in the next of Leverkusen's changes.
GOOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!!!! GLADBACH 1-3 LEVERKUSEN!! Bender's first Bundesliga goal of the season is surely enough to seal the three points for the visitors. Demirbay sends a free-kick in from the right and Bender holds off Elvedi to head the ball home.
Demirbay's free-kick was sent into a dangerous zone between the goalkeeper and the edge of the six-yard box, allowing Bender to attack it and likely seal the win.
79'
Bailey's shot from the edge of the box is blocked. Leverkusen are desperate for a third goal to put the game out of Gladbach's reach.
78'
O. Wendt enters the game and replaces M. Thuram.
Thuram has really stood out in this second half, but he is replaced by Wendt for the final 12 minutes of normal time.
77'
CLOSE! Benes, only just brought off the bench, whips a free-kick over the wall and picks out the side-netting. Leverkusen goalkeeper Hradecky is a relieved man!
76'
L. Bénes enters the game and replaces T. Strobl.
Rose turns to his bench for the second time today by bringing on Benes for Strobl.
Minute
Description
74'
It has been a pretty frenetic second half at Borussia-Park, with both sides scoring a goal apiece and looking good value to add to their tallies. Leverkusen were in control of the first half, but there has been very little between the teams since the restart.
71'
R. Bensebaïni gets yellow.
Bensebaini is the latest player to be cautioned following a challenge on Weiser.
70'
Havertz, on a hat-trick, is unable to get a shot away thanks to some top-quality defending from Strobl inside his own box.
69'
Gladbach boss Rose is given a telling off by the referee for something that he said. There have been a couple of tasty challenges over the last five minutes - not surprising given just how much is riding on this game.
67'
SHOT! Diaby opts to go it alone by pulling the trigger, despite having other options, and Sommer has a routine save to make in the Gladbach goal.
66'
L. Bailey enters the game and replaces K. Bellarabi.
Bailey is on for Bellarabi with around 25 minutes to go at Borussia-Park.
62'
M. Diaby gets yellow.
Diaby is the first player to be shown a yellow card.
60'
How big could that 60-second spell prove to be come the end of the season? Thuram wasted a good chance to put Gladbach in front, moments before Bellarabi won his side a penalty at the other end that Havertz successfully converted.
58'
Penalty goal scored by K. Havertz for Bayer Leverkusen!
GOOOOAAAAALLL!!!!! GLADBACH 1-2 LEVERKUSEN! For the second game running, Havertz has scored a brace for Leverkusen. Sommer guesses the right way, but Havertz puts it close enough to the corner to find the back of the net. Great response from the visitors!
54'
PENALTY TO LEVERKUSEN? Moments after Thuram is denied a second at one end by a good save, Bellarabi charges through and scuffs a shot wide of the target. However, Elvedi slid in on Bellarabi just before he pulled the trigger and the referee is going to check in with VAR to determine if a penalty should be awarded.
52'
M. Thuram has scored a goal for Borussia M'gladbach! Assist by A. Pléa.
GOOOOAAAALLLL!!!! GLADBACH 1-1 LEVERKUSEN!!! The hosts have looked far better in the second half and are rewarded with an equaliser. Thuram chests down Sommer's pass and runs in behind. Plea spots his team-mate's run and Thuram fires across Hradecky with a great finish on the half-volley.
This goal was all about the quality of Thuram. He played a brilliant chested pass and then had the presence of mind to continue his run, which paid off as Plea floated a pass over the top.
51'
WIDE! Bensebaini's header from the corner loops into the air and is gathered by Hradecky. From the next attack, a sloppy pass out at the back gifts the same player a chance to have a go at goal from range, but he rather scuffs it and Hradecky watches it all the way.
50'
Stindl has plenty of space in the opposition box but his cross lacks accuracy. Gladbach are looking a lot brighter in this second half.
49'
Thuram goes on a positive burst forward and tries to find Plea at the end of the run. Tapsoba shows why he is so highly rated by getting across to cut out the attempted pass.
48'
The hosts press their opponents high up the field and force an error, but Leverkusen soon regroup and are back in possession. Diaby gets forward down the left and has support, though Elvedi gets to the cross ahead of Havertz.
46'
RESTART! Gladbach, who are at risk of dropping out of the Bundesliga's top four this weekend if things stay the same here, get us back underway at Borussia-Park.
Hofmann gets in behind the visitors' back-line, only for the offside flag to go up. Gladbach are enjoying their best spell of the game, right at the end of the first half.
42'
NEARLY AN EQUALISER! Havertz heads the corner as far as Neuhaus, who brings the ball inside and unleashes a powerful long-range shot. Hradecky parries it into the path of Bensebaini and Thuram, but he redeems himself by getting to it first.
41'
Bender, who is indeed playing in defence as part of a back five, does well to cut out Plea's cross from the left. Gladbach have a chance to get the ball into the box from the corner...
38'
As things stand, Leverkusen will climb above their opponents into third place. Gladbach are not really getting anywhere at the moment - they could do with half-time.
36'
Thuram is dispossessed by Tapsoba high up the pitch. Leverkusen look very slick in possession, but the final ball has not quite been there so far, explaining why they have just the one goal.
34'
Thuram tries to get away from his man down the left, but before he can do so the offside flag goes up. It has been a frustrating first half for Gladbach's front four.
33'
Leverkusen have had 60 per cent of the ball in this first half and have undoubtedly been the better side. They have gone a bit stale over the last few minutes, though, with the game being played out in midfield at the moment.
31'
Ginter hoofs the ball forward but is unable to find the run of Plea. Gladbach have yet to test Hradecky in the Leverkusen goal, with their only shot so far off target.
27'
OVER! Aranguiz cushions the corner for Bender, who gets under the ball and blasts high into the stands from 15 yards out.
26'
Havertz, Bellarabi and Diaby are looking very lively when Leverkusen break forward. A cross comes into the box from the left, but Lainer is able to cut it out at the expense of a corner.
24'
CHANCE! Havertz gets to the ball first down the left, charges into the box and picks out Bellarabi with his cut-back. However, Bellarabi is unable to control the ball under pressure from two players and Gladbach survive a big scare.
20'
Gladbach fail to make the most of a free-kick out wide as the offside flag goes up against Ginter. Leverkusen get the ball forward quickly, only for an attempted throughball to trickle right through for Sommer to collect.
18'
Havertz flicks the ball down the line for Diaby to get on the end of. Peter Bosz's side patiently knock the ball around, but they are unable to create anything at the end of it as Weiser hacks down Thuram.
16'
Gladbach have looked slightly better over the last few minutes, with the hosts finally managing to keep hold of the ball and create some crossing and shooting opportunities. Leverkusen look bright whenever they get the ball into the final third.
14'
Strobl has a go from a long way out and the ball ends in the empty stands. Rose's side have not got going at all so far today, but there is a lot of time for them to grow into things as Hradecky plucks a cross out of the air.
12'
L. Stindl enters the game and replaces B. Embolo.
Embolo is unable to shake off the knock and is replaced by Stindl in a further blow for the hosts.
11'
Embolo is still struggling after picking up an earlier knock. It looks as though Gladbach will have to turn to their bench with a little over 10 minutes played.
9'
Leverkusen have an early goal and are in complete control of possession. The visitors put together a number of passes and space opens up for Demirbay to shoot, but the effort is well off target.
7'
K. Havertz has scored a goal for Bayer Leverkusen! Assist by K. Bellarabi.
GOOOOAAAAALLLL!!!!! GLADBACH 0-1 LEVERKUSEN!!! The visitors have started the match strongly and have a goal to show for it. Demirbay plays a pass forward to Bellarabi and the winger slots it around the back for Havertz to latch on to. Leverkusen's star man keeps his cool by clinically sliding his shot through Sommer's legs.
Bellarabi was picked out on the right and played a nice pass in behind for Havertz, who perfectly timed his run, to latch on to and do the rest.
3'
Neuhaus gets forward from his defensive midfield position but is unable to bring the ball under control inside the box. Both teams are slowly feeling their way into the game.
1'
KICK-OFF! Following a minute's silence to remember all those that have lost their lives to COVID-19, Leverkusen get us up and running against top-four rivals Gladbach in what is the pick of this weekend's Bundesliga matches.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Bundesliga clash between Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen at Borussia-Park.
Following a two-month hiatus owing to the coronavirus pandemic, both teams made winning returns to action last weekend to keep their top-four aspirations alive. Gladbach were comfortable 3-1 winners over Eintracht Frankfurt, while Leverkusen - inspired by two-goal attacker Kai Havertz - brushed aside a struggling Werder Bremen side 4-1.
Gladbach enter the pick of this weekend's Bundesliga matches sitting third in the table, albeit just two points above fifth-place opponents Leverkusen, with RB Leipzig - away at Mainz on Sunday - positioned in between. Indeed, with eight games of the season to play, neither Gladbach nor Leverkusen can be ruled out of the title race just yet.
Subs: Raffael, Laszlo Benes, Lars Stindl, Patrick Herrmann, Ibrahima Traore, Tony Jantschke, Christoph Kramer, Tobias Sippel, Oscar Wendt.
GLADBACH XI (4-2-3-1): Yann Sommer (c); Stefan Lainer, Matthias Ginter, Nico Elvedi, Ramy Bensebaini; Florian Neuhaus, Tobias Strobl; Alassane Plea, Jonas Hofmann, Marcus Thuram; Breel Embolo.
Subs: Wendell, Florian Wirtz, Paulinho, Julian Baumgartlinger, Ramazan Ozcan, Nadiem Amiri, Leon Bailey, Lucas Alario.
LEVERKUSEN XI (4-2-3-1): Lukas Hradecky; Mitchell Weiser, Aleksandar Dragovic, Edmond Tapsoba, Daley Sinkgraven; Charles Aranguiz, Sven Bender; Karim Bellarabi, Kerem Demirbay, Moussa Diaby; Kai Havertz (c).
The teams are coming out onto the pitch at Borussia-Park, with kick-off just moments away. This game will be played without any supporters present, as will every other Bundesliga game for the foreseeable future.
Leverkusen take a deserved 1-0 lead into half-time against Gladbach thanks to Havertz's clinical finish inside seven minutes. The visitors looked slick in possession and really should have scored a second just before the interval, but Elvedi produced a superb block to deny Demirbay from four yards out after Havertz's initial shot came back off the bar.
Gladbach were forced into an early change when Embolo hobbled off to be replaced by Stindl, but both teams have five substitutions available to make should they wish. Rose may be tempted to turn to winger Traore to help give his side something different up top, while Leverkusen boss Bosz has the likes of Paulinho and Bailey among his subs.
That's all for today's live coverage. Thanks for joining!
Gladbach will need to quickly pick themselves up as they are back in action on Tuesday with a trip to strugglers Werder Bremen. Leverkusen, who have now won five in a row in all competitions, play host to Wolfsburg on the same day.
Commentary
More…