Barcelona may only be two places above their visitors but the gulf here has been vast.

Luis Enrique's side have monopolised possession and Sevilla are yet to register a shot on goal.

The intricacies are meaningless however as Lionel Messi is the story. He now shares La Liga's all-time scoring record - though that may change in the second half.

A dominant Barca display has yielded few chances, but two arrive at one as the first-half draws to a close.

Jordi Alba - who has ran Sevilla hard down the Barca left - gets in behind and his shot beats the keeper but finds a sliding defender on the goal-line.

From the corner, do Barca put it in the mixer? Never. They work an opening for Neymar who has a golden chance from 12 yards saved by Beto's legs.

Big chance, Sevilla like a boxer on the ropes.

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Moments after Coke is booked for his brutality on Neymar, Lionel Messi is chopped down having clearly got the the ball quicker than Sevilla's Daniel Carrico - no foul. Then Barcelona's Ivan Rakitic - playing against his old club - is wrestled down and when nothing is given, the locals make their feelings known.

Barca players surround the referee. You get the feeling Sevilla will need to be industrial if they are to keep tabs on their hosts tonight.

Sevilla defender Coke puts in what we will call a 'robust' challenge on Neymar. It involves shirt pulling and a bit of a boot from behind. No prisoners then.

Bad news for Coke though, out comes the yellow card and he now misses his side's next match against Granada.

John McEnerney: , externalMoyes is now in the most fickle league in the world, he'll need a miracle to keep his job & he doesn't do miracles - we know that.

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Luis Enrique cuts a dapper figure on the Barca touchline. Hands in his pockets, he sports a three-piece suit tonight along with some designer stubble.

His side are well on top here, dictating, being typically positive with the ball.

Sevilla's central defenders seem to get drawn to Lionel Messi as Barca build play and it does look like a run in behind them from a supporting player will cause mayhem. We wait...

Caz Diamond: As a Manchester United fan, I feel sorry for David Moyes as he is a good manager. And I know that his time at Real Sociedad won't become the sad story it did at United. All the best Moyes.

Harrison James Fletcher: I have a lot of respect for the guy and for what he did for Everton. But when he faces the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, that's where he will drop points, I think. But by all means, good luck to him - he's going to need it in La Liga.

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So will Sevilla be swept away by a tide of Lionel Messi love pouring from the stands at the Nou Camp? It would appear not as they respond with their best passage of a play but a corner, forcefully headed away by Gerard Pique, is as much as they get for the effort.

'Felicitatas Messi' reads the Nou Camp scoreboard. He has levelled Telmo Zarra's all-time La Liga goal scoring record, though the former Athletic Bilbao striker did in in 12 games fewer.

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If there is ever a way to equal the La Liga scoring record this is it.

The stage set, free-kick, 18 yards and central, Lionel Messi steps up left footed and whips the ball into the top corner. You could put three goalkeepers in there and it would still go in. Beto is helpless, Messi's name reverberates around the Nou Camp.

He has 251 La Liga goals.

It would appear Sevilla midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak is going to hug, cuddle, wrestle and do whatever he needs to in order to stop Lionel Messi tonight. He almost hitches a ride on Messi's back in attempting to stop the Argentine.

Jordi Alba again gets in behind the visiting defence down Barca's left side but his delivery evades the onrushing masses and though it is one way traffic, it remains level.

Would you want your side going to Barcelona after an international break? The home crowd whoop and roar as a neat exchange releases Jordi Alba, his cut-back finds Luis Suarez who feeds Neymar instantly but the shot is blocked.

That was football at speed and Barca have the look of a side itching for a game.

Mathias Teepa Bumie: , externalDavid Moyes has every possibility of succeeding in Spain. His disappointing spell at Man Utd was partly due to his ageing team

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Lionel Messi, 18 yards, central, space... his curled effort draws breath around the Nou Camp but Portuguese goalkeeper Beto dives to his right and clasps the yellow ball.

No record yet and Sevilla are let off the hook. Offering this guy his own postcode of space is not clever.

Mark Baker: Of course he can. He hasn't become a bad manager because of less than a season at Man United. Especially when you look at how bad Van Gaal has done in comparison. Sociedad are vastly underperforming, and he definitely has the quality and backing to change that.

Ryan Lee Livingstone: Good manager, never had a chance, career ruined.

Chris Casey: He won't do anything special.

Mark Watson: He will be sacked by the summer.

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The early pattern starts as you would expect at the Nou Camp. Barcelona's full-backs playing high up the field, Sevilla in a disciplined eight-man block with two lines of four in defence and midfield.

Luis Suarez has had some early touches, much to the joy of home supporters who roar when the Uruguayan puts the ball under his spell.

Barcelona are one of only two teams (with Recreativo) that Unai Emery has faced as a La Liga manager and never beaten. He has four draws to his name, but not a single win over the Catalans.

And here we go, Barcelona get the ball rolling at the Nou Camp, Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar leading the line. Looks like a 0-0 draw then.

Sevilla do not like this ground. They have not left with three points for 12 years.