An early blow for the home side.

Martin Hinteregger is down holding his thigh and signalling he needs to come off.

In comes the corner and the ball drops in the box but a Hammers player can't hook a shot on target.

Just FYI, all the home fans are wearing white today - Frankfurt's away kit - as a reminder of just how good they were away at Barcelona in the last round.

James Maddison is put under pressure in the middle and loses it but Wesley Fofana wins it back immediately. Harvey Barnes tries to get away down the left as they break but Roma are back quickly. There's concern for James Justin though. He went down very awkwardly and has hurt his shoulder.

The action is being played out in a light mist from all those flares and fire-works before kick-off.

West Ham start on the front foot to deafening boos and whistles. They win the first corner.

One thing is for sure, they don't need clappers or goal music here.

Roma fans were serenading their team before kick-off. Tammy Abraham pointed to them passionately and the camera span over to Claudio Ranieri who looked like he was enjoying it just as much as listening to Andrea Bocelli. This is a big game for both teams and it feels like a proper, European tie.

Two European competitions. Two big ties. Two English sides eyeing a final.

We are under way in Rome and Frankfurt.

There are thousands of flags waving, hundreds of fireworks and flares going off. One end of the ground here looks like the best Bonfire Night ever.

Yep, pretty, pretty good...

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

We have a feeling the atmosphere could be pretty decent tonight...

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Between the two legs, an understrength West Ham lost 2-1 at home to Arsenal to further dent their hopes of qualifying for the Europa League next season. They are actually on a poor run of form since that quarter-final second-leg win at Lyon, having drawn once and lost three times since.

Eintracht Frankfurt also lost at the weekend, going down 2-0 at Bayer Leverkusen to leave them floundering in 11th in the Bundesliga.

With a Champions League spot on offer for the winner of this tournament, both of these teams will be seeing this as their moonshot for the season.

Image source, Getty Images

This is touching...

David Moyes' 86-year-old father, David Sr, will be among a sell-out crowd of around 48,000 for the game at Deutsche Bank Park.

"My dad's coming, and I hope my son takes me to matches when I'm 86," added Moyes. "My brother's bringing my dad and it's great he can see us at this stage. I hope we give him a night to remember.

"If he saw us win it would be special, and even better if it was the final. He wants it to be and so do I."

West Ham manager David Moyes hopes it is his "turn" to win a trophy as the Hammers look to overturn a first-leg deficit at Eintracht Frankfurt and reach the Europa League final.

The Hammers must win in Germany on Thursday to have any chance of reaching a first European final since 1976.

"A European semi-final is huge for me, the players, everybody," said Moyes.

"I'm thrilled to be taking the team here and it wasn't long ago we were fighting relegation - it's been a big climb and there's no reason why it shouldn't continue.

"We need a whole team performance. The biggest thing for me is we get to the final."

Moyes' managerial career began with Preston 24 years ago and the Scot wants to win a major European trophy, which would be West Ham's first in 57 years, after victory in the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1965.

"There are lots of games throughout your career, so when you get to a big one you think 'it's big', added Moyes. "But there's lots of big games, lots of ups and downs.

"It's hard to be a winner all the time because everyone is fighting for that prize. But when you get this close you are thinking 'is this my turn, my chance?' I hope this is my turn."

Leicester City

Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers speaking to BT Sport: "It's brilliant - Olympic stadium in Rome and the pitch looks really good. Great environment for the game.

"It's the second leg we want to win the game so it's that balance of attacking and defensive players. It's a strong team we've got out.

"It's a game where we have to be careful for their counter-attack, James Justin is fast so there's a good speed in the back line and he did well when he came into the game last week.

"It's a great game, a great occasion and we're looking forward to it."

Image source, Getty Images

Brendan Rodgers says the level of teams Leicester have played in the Europa Conference League shows it is "a prestigious competition".

"There was disappointment when we came out of the Europa League, but when you saw the level of the teams, you knew it was a prestigious competition.

"I'm pretty sure that was the notion of Uefa when it was put together. That's the desire we're carrying as we look to get to the final.

"We're playing in a one-off game. We know how to get the job done, so we go to Roma with no fear."

Image source, Getty Images

Get this, they are removing seats from the stands, presumably so that more Frankfurt fans can get in here to stand and watch.

Image source, Getty Images

Jarrod Bowen has paid tribute to the "massive" influence West Ham manager David Moyes has had on his development.

The 25-year-old, who was playing non-league football with Hereford eight years ago, is preparing to face Frankfurt in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday.

"I'm obviously grateful for where I am right now," said Bowen.

"The manager is one for bringing players from the Championship. I was nervous - when I first signed, my first two games were Liverpool and Manchester City away. But the manager managed it really well.

"He's been great with me and my development and onto me, improving. You need that little kick to get onto the next level, where I want to be.

"It's about showing what I'm about and improving on last season. This season it was about believing in my abilities and showing it week in, week out with goals and assists."

There's a familiar face at the Stadio Olimpico tonight...

Leicester City's former title-winning manager Claudio Ranieri is in the house! He is in his hometown Rome but who will he be supporting? He has managed both clubs and began his playing career at Roma back in 1973...

James Collins
Former West Ham defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

What an unbelievable arena to play in, one of the ones you watch on TV and wish you'd played there. Unfortunately I didn't.

Michael Yokhin
BBC Sport reporter

"West Ham have never experienced an atmosphere like the one that awaits them when they face Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday. It would be impossible for a stadium to be louder than the Waldstadion," says Kicker journalist Julian Franzke.

The passion of Eintracht Frankfurt fans has been a calling card on their Europa League journey. They filled the stands at the Nou Camp when their team sensationally won against Barcelona in the quarter-finals - an estimated 30,000 supporters travelled to Spain , externalfor that game - and then crowded London when Eintracht beat the Hammers 2-1 in the semi-final first leg last week.

To understand this phenomenon, it is important to know Eintracht's soul. Somewhat similarly to West Ham, this is a club with deep roots and a massive support that was deprived of success for decades. Their best years were a long time ago, and younger supporters grew up hearing about their World Cup-winning legends.

West Ham have never won the championship title in England. Eintracht's only triumph occurred in 1959, before the Bundesliga was established. Stars who are still alive, like the 85-year-old Hungarian striker Istvan Sztani, are always welcome at the stadium.

West Ham are proud of their 1966 heroes - Bobby Moore, Sir Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters. For Eintracht, these are Jurgen Grabowski and Bernd Holzenbein, the stars of the 1974 World Cup. Holzenbein even won the crucial penalty in the final as West Germany beat the Netherlands.

Grabowski, widely considered Eintracht's greatest player, died two months ago. Bernd Nickel, another legend of the '70s, nicknamed Dr Hammer for his fierce shots and famous for having scored from all four corner flags at Waldstadion, died in October. The Europa League run is therefore dedicated in their memory.

Read more of this piece here.