La Liga: Huesca v Barcelona

1. Lionel Messi returns for Barcelona
2. Barcelona sit 13 points off the top
3. Huesca are bottom & four points from safety

Sergino Dest is teed up with a backheel. He cuts it back to Martin Braithwaite but his shot is blocked before Lionel Messi curls one wide of the left post.

Very nice from Pedri. He flicks it over the top to Lionel Messi in the box but the flag is up for offside.

GOAL - Huesca 0-1 Barcelona

Frenkie de Jong legs it into the box and Lionel Messi picks him out with a perfectly-weighted ball in.

De Jong coolly opens up his body and slots it into the bottom right corner on the volley.

Getty Images

CLOSE!

Pedri tries to find Martin Braithwaite as he cuts it back from the left. It's cleared but only to Jordi Alba, who smashes one into the side-netting.

Huesca are just not able to keep the ball when they do have it. It feels like a matter of time before Barca score.

Antoine Griezmann is watching on from the bench looking very frustrated... and cold.

CLOSE!

Ousmane Dembele's cross is headed over by Pedri!

How have they not scored yet?

Rafa Mir runs at the Barca centre-backs but his touch is heavy. He tries to win a free-kick by claiming Clement Lenglet had obstructed him but really he just ran straight into him.

Sergio Busquets' sloppy touch gifts possession to Huesca high up but they don't have enough players forward to counter-attack efficiently.

Instead, they protect the ball in midfield before trying to go down the left.

Barcelona then go up the other end through Ousmane Dembele but Pedri's shot is parried away for a corner.

Rafa Mir earns a bit of rest for Huesca as he's clattered into by Clement Lenglet. Fortunate not to get a yellow there, perhaps?

Domination so far.

Opta

Lionel Messi and Pedri combine on the edge of the box but neither can get a shot away.

It's moved out wide to Jordi Alba and again, he puts a very dangerous ball into the box which fizzes across the six-yard area, just missing Martin Braithwaite.

Jordi Alba lifts another cross in. He's causing problems. Lionel Messi picks it up at the back post but strikes it well wide.

GREAT SAVE!

Jordi Alba fizzes a cross in from the left. Martin Braithwaite lets it run for Pedri, who flicks it goalwards from a few yards out.

Huesca keeper Alvaro Fernandez pulls off a brilliant save from close range!

Lionel Messi's cross is only half-cleared but Sergio Busquets can't get a shot away on the edge of the area.

Ousmane Dembele then brings down Sergio Gomez as he tries to bring the ball out for Huesca.

Sergino Dest puts pressure on Jaime Seoane so Huesca have to go all the way back. They look nice and organised early on though and we know they like to play too.

Ousmane Dembele chases a ball down the left but Huesca captain Jorge Pulido uses his body to shield it and lets it roll out for a goal kick.

Barcelona win possession back but Lionel Messi has two players on him on the right hand side.

Lionel Messi is playing in his 750th match for Barcelona and his 500th in La Liga.

He becomes the 12th player to reach 500 La Liga matches and the first non-Spaniard.

It's his first appearance in Huesca's Estadio El Alcoraz.

KICK-OFF

Off we go!

Here come the teams!

Barca trailing behind...

Barcelona need to starting winning and fast.

They are currently 13 points behind league leaders Atletico Madrid, who have played the same number of games.

BBC Sport