Image source, EPA

This could get tasty. There are a few, shall we say, loose tackles flying in, the latest being one by Villarreal's Jaume Costa that leaves Dani Alves writhing around on the floor. The boot was high and Alves was clipped. The Barca defender bares his marked upper thigh as exhibit A to the ref but gets booked for the manner of his protests. Needless to say, Alves is not happy with that outcome.

The home side get a rare sight of the Barca goal but Denis Cheryshev is unable to make the most of a difficult chance and slices his shot wide of goal from a tight angle on the left.

Another Dani Alves cross - low to the near post - is cut out by Victor Ruiz for a corner. Ivan Rakitic delivers but the home side do another fine job of clearing what is, in truth, a pretty poor effort. The away side are starting to get a bit frustrated, not least of all with the referee, who has given Villarreal a couple of generous free-kicks in the last couple of minutes.

Barcelona continue to probe away near the edge of the Villarreal box. Dani Alves remains their main source of deliveries into the box but he has yet to hit a truly quality cross. Jeremy Mathieu hammers a shot from way out but it flashes wide of goal.

Barca go within a lick of paint of taking the lead. Lionel Messi drives a low free-kick on the right-hand corner of the box towards the near post and it takes a deflection off Trigueros before Sergio Asenjo tips the ball on to the base of the post. Messi so, so close to claiming his 246th La Liga goal. Take a bow, Asenjo.

Wale ibraheem:, external It seems La Masia don't really bother to produce quality defenders, Barca don't defend anyway.

Barca's players are screaming for a penalty as Pedro attempts to cut inside his marker inside the box and tumbles under an, admittedly, clumsy challenge. However, the referee sees nothing wrong and play continues. I think the official got that right. Pedro was looking for that and fell way too easily.

Image source, Getty Images

Villarreal have barely been in the Barca half but they should probably be ahead from essentially their first attack. Giovani dos Santos swings over a cross after his initial corner is blocked and it finds Victor Ruiz at the back post with the goal at his mercy. Somehow, the defender manages to loop the ball onto the roof of the net. His puts his head in his hands and he is right to do so. That was a great chance.

Don't believe me that Barca are pounding Villarreal in terms of possession and efforts at goal? Here's the statistical evidence....

More possession for Dani Alves and he whips over another cross but it is over-hit and beats everyone to go out for a goal-kick. Barca are getting into good positions but need better quality to make it count. Villarreal haven't really been out of their own half yet, such is the gulf in class. The home side will be pleased with their defensive work, though.

Image source, Getty Images

Saying that, Sergio Asenjo has just had to pull out a decent save to deny Pedro by diving to his left to palm away a goal-bound shot from the edge of the box. Good effort, better save.

Dani Alves is seeing a fair bit of the ball, much to the ire of the whistling home supporters, and he fires over another cross that is just taken away from a team-mate in the box by the head of a home defender. Barca are in complete control at the moment, but they've not yet given Sergio Asenjo too many difficult situations to deal with.

Dani Alves is receiving a few boos from the stands, you would assume as a result of the banana incident from last season. It is just a few, but still not pleasant to hear. He plays a part in setting up Ivan Rakitic, who unleashes a shot from range but does not strike it with enough power to trouble Sergio Asenjo.

Villarreal boss Marcelino Garcia Toral has never beaten Barca as a La Liga manager, drawing two and losing six of his eight attempts.

Villarreal have a chance to finally get in the Barcelona half but the attack is snuffed it out before it has even begun by the visitors, who set off on another attack of their own. Dani Alves - who you may remember ate a banana that was thrown onto the pitch at this ground last season - crosses low for Messi but a home defender slides in to deny the Argentine forward and clear.

John McEnerney:, external Stern test for Barca, strong line-up missing Iniesta which may be crucial, Xavi off the bench late on either to close out the game or win it.

Image source, Getty Images

Lionel Messi's first real input into the game is to collect possession from Pedro on the edge of the box and fire a low snap-shot straight into the hands of home keeper Sergio Asenjo. Villarreal have not had a kick yet.

Barca get the game under way and proceed to keep the ball for the first minute before forcing an early corner. Ivan Rakitic swings the corner over to the edge of the box for Munir to strike but he doesn't quite catch it cleanly and the ball goes wide of goal.

The teams are on their way out at El Madrigal, which is one of those classic Spanish grounds that don't really see the need for proper roofs on their stands. That's what regular sunshine will do. I once spent a Tuesday night in the away end at Barnsley before it got a roof. Very different experience I imagine.