Lionel Messi plays a great ball over the top to bff Jordi Alba, but Lucas Vazquez does well to win the ball off him.

Video Assistant Refereepublished at 15 mins

15 mins

Real Madrid 0-0 Barcelona (1-1 agg)

The ball goes out of play 30 seconds later and the referee has a chat with the VAR team but says no pen.

Vinicius Jr goes down in the box and wants a penalty. Nelson Semedo tapped his ankle with his foot. The fans are adamant it should be a penalty. But the referee says no.

Real captain Sergio Ramos appears to be struggling after colliding with his own team-mate Casemiro in the air. Might be a dead leg.

Vinicius Jr sends Sergio Reguilon away with a backheel down the left - Reguilon has overtaken Marcelo in the pecking order this year for those of you who don't catch much Spanish football.

His cross is held by Marc-Andre ter Stegen and the referee gives a corner, even though the German keeper kept the ball in play.

Corner comes to nothing.

Barca midfielder Ivan Rakitic is lucky to avoid a booking for a studs-up challenge on Casemiro. Seconds earlier Sergio Busquets wanted a free after a tackle from Karim Benzema.

Whistles and jeers from Real Madrid fans every time Gerard Pique gets the ball. Never change Spanish football, never change.

Lionel Messi gets the ball for the first time basically, he takes it on 30 yards and plays it out to Ousmane Dembele.

He crosses to Luis Suarez, who can't quite pull it back for Sergi Roberto in the middle.

Vinicius Jr sends Nelson Semedo one way and then the other but his low cross is cut out. The Real fans love it whenever the Brazilian gets on the ball.

Ooof. Toni Kroos stands on Sergi Roberto's ankle. The Barca man was also fouled by Casemiro a minute ago. This start says to me we're going to get a red card tonight.

Real midfielder Casemiro now fouls Ousmane Dembele. A few early crunchers on the skillful players.

Real Madrid teenager Vinicius, the Brazilian wonderkid winger, thinks he's been fouled by Nelson Semedo but the referee says no free.

Real Madrid have had most of the ball in the early seconds, but mostly in midfield. As things stand they'd go through.

But surely it won't finish 0-0. It is El Clasico after all...

Video assistant referees are in use for this game.

We are under way in El Clasico.

The captains Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos have a hug and a handshake before kick-off. Very different characters...

This is the 241st meeting of these teams. Real have won 95, with Barca on 94. The quick mathematicians among you will realise that means there have been 51 draws.

A 0-0 draw takes Real Madrid into the final. 1-1 and it's extra time. 2-2, 3-3 etc and Barca go through on away goals.

This is Lionel Messi's 40th Clasico, he has scored 26 goals against Real Madrid, a record for this rivalry.

His hat-trick against Sevilla last time out was his 50th treble for club and country - and took his record up to 650 goals.

He has scored 408 La Liga goals, also a record.

Image source, Getty Images

Messi's left boot: The Messiah is back to save us all from an average match