Lionel Messi's free-kick is poor and evades everyone. Goal-kick.

First booking of the game goes to Malaga's Recio, who fells Lionel Messi 30 yards from goal.

Barcelona are denied a penalty again! And this one should definitely have been awarded. Luis Suarez gets past the Malaga defence and Marcos Angeleri brings him down from behind and fails to get a touch on the ball.

An awful decision and a huge let-off for Malaga.

Barcelona are certain they should have a penalty for handball. Neymar's cross is blocked by the arm of the sliding Miguel Torres. 

It wasn't intentional so not a penalty in my eyes.

Whistles all through the Nou Camp.

In Serie A, former Sevilla striker Carlos Bacca has just given AC Milan the lead against Empoli, rounding the keeper before firing home.

Mario Balotelli is on the bench at the San Siro, although admittedly it is a 12-man bench so far from a guarantee he'll come on.

And Riccardo Saponara has now levelled it up.

Neymar, making his first competitive appearance of the season after mumps, has a shot from just outside the box but it's straight at Carlos Kameni, once of Barca's city rivals Espanyol.

Take that Malaga.

Speaking of midfielders turned into defenders, Xabi Alonso played at centre-back today for Bayern Munich as they beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0. Boss Pep Guardiola was impressed.

Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano, of all people, comes closest to opening the scoring as his header from Lionel Messi's left-wing cross hits the crossbar.

Malaga defender Weligton was injured chasing Lionel Messi in that previous incident and so he's replaced by Raul Albentosa, who is on loan from Derby County.

Lionel Messi runs onto a ball - for a second it looks like he's in on goal, but he just runs it wide and the ball is smothered out for a corner.

Incredible effort from Juan Carlos, who picks up a misplaced pass in his own half and has a shot with a first-time effort - a full 60 yards out. Keeper Claudio Bravo was off his line and he will be hugely relieved that the shot was just wide.

Malaga have a corner after summer signing Duje Cop's shot was blocked. Claudio Bravo is able to hold onto the resulting corner though. That was almost the first time Malaga have gone forward.

Re our entry between four and seven minutes.

There's no doubt that a goal is coming. Probably.

Image source, Reuters

Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta plays the ball through to Luis Suarez. Keeper Carlos Kameni smothers it but he gets it wrong and only parries it. Suarez tries to backheel in the rebound but it's far too optimistic and Malaga stay level for now.

It's all Barcelona so far. Andres Iniesta gets the ball near the byeline and cuts it back to Lionel Messi, who wasn't quite expecting it.

Now Sergio Busquets has a shot but it's saved by keeper Carlos Kameni, who is going to be busy tonight.

Lionel Messi passes the ball to Andres Iniesta, who plays it first time without looking through to Luis Suarez, but he didn't quite anticipate it and Carlos Kameni comes out of his goal to deny him.