Sevilla struggling to get out of their own half at the moment. Messi, pulling strings with increasing menace, draws a foul from Sergio Reguilon, which earns the defender a booking.

Barcelona are cranking up the pressure. Rakitic's ball out wide is beautiful and finds Suarez, whose first-time ball across goal is int the corridor and causes problems. Vaclik has it, then suddenly he doesn't have it, prompting his defence to go into hacking panic mode. They do just about manage to get the ball away from danger.

Messi hits another free-kick - this one from further out - and while it beats the wall, the curling effort is easily saved and gathered by Vaclik.

It is Messi who takes the free-kick, opting to delicately chip the ball towards the top corner. It allows Kounde to get back under his own bar and head the ball away for a corner that comes to nothing.

Messi into the game. He gathers the ball deep and sets off towards the box, beating a couple of men before drawing the foul for a dangerous free-kick. Here we go...

Not a great deal to report so far. Barcelona are still on the front foot but Sevilla are doing a decent containing job so far.

Word must have spread in my house that Messi is on the telly because this lad has just wandered in to watch.

I hope he's paying attention because if I miss who took a corner I'll be asking him.

Image source, Phil Dawkes

Oh, almost our first goal. And would you believe it, it is the home side with the effort.

After a free-kick into the box is headed partially away, Jules Kounde collects and fires a low shot that dribbles just past the far post with Marc-Andre ter Stegen at full stretch.

Fernando is clearly the man assigned to Messi by Sevilla. He's constantly looking over his shoulder, assessing where the little magician is before charging into tackles as soon as the ball goes near him.

Is there a less enviable task in world football than marking Messi?

Odere: Here to watch another messi magic tonight

Barca very much in the ascendancy early on. Martin Braithwaite gets away down the left but his low, square ball, designed to find Suarez, is cut out.

Nothing emphasises a stadium without fans like birds repeatedly diving into and swooping around while a game is going on.

Luis Suarez's first real entry into the action sees him curl a shot on goal that Tomas Vaclik is right behind.

And we're under way. Barca get us started.

As always, you can keep in touch with us about this game. Or maybe you just want to reminisce about Martin Braithwaite's time at Boro?

You can tweet in using the hashtag #bbceurofooty.

Putting aside the weird PES player in that line-up graphic, it's brilliant to see Luis Suarez back (unless you're a Sevilla fan that is).

He's there to form that famous front three of Suarez, Messi and, er, Martin Braithwaite. To be fair, Braithwaite's inclusion continues the rotation policy that Barca have adopted since the restart, meaning no Antoine Griezmann.

Jordi Alba is also back in the side after suspension. No Frenkie de Jong, though. He's injured.

Image source, Getty Images

OK, so Messi tends to hog the headlines, but let us not forget the broader context here.

Barca top La Liga, but by just two points from Real Madrid. And this is one of the fixtures both sides will have identified as potential game-changer.

Sevilla are third in the table under Julen Lopetegui (yes, the same one that left the Spain job just before the 2018 World Cup because he'd agreed to be Real Madrid boss).

Barca won the reverse fixture 4-0 back in October, while Sevilla have not beaten the Catalan side in the league since 2015. They are, though, unbeaten in six either side of the league's suspension.

Messi couldn't have asked for a better opponent to try and complete his quest to reach the 700 club. OK, so he's not exactly shy about scoring against any side, but no other has felt his goalscoring wrath as much as Sevilla.

He has netted 37 times against them in his career. That is six more than against any other side.

Image source, Getty Images

Another season, another stunning milestone for the little man.

Last May it was hitting the net for 600th for Barcelona. Tonight he could reach 700 (SEVEN HUNDRED) career goals.

Only six men have reached this tally before for professional club and country.

Eventually, you just run out superlatives. Except that's not an option for muggings here, who has to think up some more (or just repeat some old ones) from the comfort of my spare room.