Image source, Getty Images

The atmosphere is building in and around the Bernabeu. In the tunnel, the Real players are high-fiving the real mascots. The choice of Keylor Navas in the Real goal is a bit of a surprise, but after six clean sheets in his last eight games, I think Iker Casillas has earned a rest.

Is Gareth Bale right to say Ronaldo is "another level to everyone else"?

Hishaam Habib:, external No he isn't. Yes at this moment he is the best in the world, but not in a different category than Messi.

Rob Hall:, external No, Messi is a force of nature. Ronaldo would be best in the world in almost any other era though.

George:, external Level below Messi, level above every other player. So yes.

Italian Serie A

Image source, AP

Spanish football will dominate the early part of our commentary, but from 19:45 GMT we'll also be bringing you coverage from Serie A, where sleeping giants AC Milan are taking on Sampdoria.

The Rossoneri were humiliated with a 2-0 home defeat to Palmero last time out - can they recover?

To be fair, Filippo Inzaghi's men started the season well enough, having been unbeaten for six games prior, but they need a response at Sampdoria this evening.

Stay tuned for all the updates.

German Bundesliga

Bayer Leverkusen0-0 Mainz 05

Eintracht Frankfurt 0-4 Bayern Munich

Freiburg2-0 Schalke 04

Hoffenheim 3-4 FC Cologne

Augsburg 3-0 Paderborn

German Bundesliga

Thomas Muller scored a hat-trick as Bayern Munich thrashed Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0, external to go seven points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.

Muller converted Franck Ribery's cross to give the unbeaten champions a half-time lead, then rounded off a counter-attack to make it 2-0. He raced clear to complete his treble before substitute Xherdan Shaqiri late close-range effort completed the rout.

Bayern have now won six of their past seven league games.

Based in the the Madrid suburb of Vallecas, Rayo have always lived in the shadow of illustrious neighbours Real and Atletico. However, this is their fourth successive season in the top-flight and they reached an all-time high of eighth in 2012-13.

Image source, Real Madrid

Real Madrid have tweeted, external a few stats about their head-to-head record against Rayo Vallecano. A repeat of their last La Liga home match against them would certainly do Carlo Ancelotti's men.....

Fifteen minutes until kick-off in the Bernabeu. Here are tonight's teams:

Real Madrid: Keylor Navas; Ramos, Pepe, Nacho, Marcelo; Kroos, Modric, James; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo

Rayo: Cristian; Tito, Ze, Abdoulaye, Insua; Kakuta, Fatau, Trashorras, Lica; Bueno, Baptistao

Image source, Getty Images

Speaking of Messi and his merry men... the Argentina star failed to score for the third league game in a row, and remains one behind Telmo Zarra's all-time La Liga record of 251 goals, but Barcelona came from behind to beat Almeria 2-1.

Luis Suarez came off the bench to set up both goals as Barca temporarily went top of the league, one point ahead of Real.

If you're out there following our live commentary, we want to hear from you. Is Bale right to say Ronaldo is "on another level to everyone else" at the moment? Will Lionel Messi ever score a league goal again? Should Bayern Munich just be handed the Bundesliga title now to put everyone else out of their misery?

Get involved via #bbceurofooty, external on Twitter.

Image source, Getty Images

Ahead of tonight's game, Gareth Bale has been talking to Football Focus. In the interview, he said playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo fuelled his ambition to become the world's best player.

In total the 29-year-old Portugal international has scored 194 league goals in 174 appearances for Real, while netting 55 times in 55 Champions League matches for the current holders.

"I'm improving all the time and trying to get to the level Cristiano's at," said Bale.

"The amount of goals he scores and what he does for the team is incredible. Nobody is living up to that at. At the moment he's on another level to everyone else."

Between them the Frenchman, the Welshman and the Portuguese have scored 26 league goals and contributed 11 assists this season. Bale has missed the past five matches with a muscle injury as Real extended their winning run to 13 games, but he's back in the starting line-up for the visit of Rayo Vallecano.

Image source, Getty Images

Sorry for any confusion folks. That headline is not intended as self-congratulation. It's not us boys at the Beeb arrogantly delighting in our return to Euro service. No, no, no. It's a reference to Real Madrid's lethal front three of (Karim) Benzema, (Gareth) Bale and Cristiano (Ronaldo), christened the BBC by the Spanish press and reunited in the white of Real Madrid this evening.