Having seen that earlier Karim Benzema free-kick, Toni Kroos trots over to take the ball.

What a run! Superb from Vinicius as he jags down the left, cuts inside and goes between two backtracking Barca defenders.

Down he goes and it's right outside the area. Very nearly a penalty.

Karim Benzema to take - puts it out of the (tiny) ground.

Young midfielder Pedri has had a few nibbles and now he's booked for bringing down Casemiro. Real free-kick in a dangerous area.

No sign of the old stagers fading yet as Luka Modric presses high to win the ball back, plays a smart pass and ends up inside the area. He drives in a low shot and it's well charged down.

Good response to the goal from Barca, who are buzzing around the Real area now.

Barcelona look for the early response and Lionel Messi weaves into the area to stand up a cross - Ousmane Dembele is close to meeting it with a header.

The game has come to life.

Barca left wing-back Jordi Alba was suckered into diving in on halfway in the build up to that goal and there was a gaping hole for Lucas Vazquez to run into.

Benzema took that brilliantly though.

Better from the hosts now as Vinicius nearly wriggles out of trouble on the edge of the area and gets a shot off. That all started with an excellent challenge from Toni Kroos.

Almost! Pedri and Ousmane Dembele link up on the edge of the area and they nearly get it to Lionel Messi.

Messi then does play a wonderful pass to find Jordi Alba, taking three defenders out of the game but his cross is well cut out by Thibaut Courtois.

The first piece of gold from Messi.

Barca are largely controlling the ball in typical style, with Real happy to sit off and look to hit them on the counter.

Vinicius showed his threat against Liverpool in the week and he's at it again, bursting into the area from the left but his touch is just too heavy and the ball gets away from him.

Lionel Messi is noimnally playing up front alongside Ousmane Dembele but here is he, deeper in midfield than even Sergio Busquets to start a Barca move.

Real have a sniff of a chance though after Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen plays a poor pass out but Casemiro's ball through to Karim Benzema is overhit.

Lionel Messi miscontrols the ball. Unheard of. Barca are starting with a long spell of possession.

And we're off! Both sides in traditional colours which is pleasing.

Here come the players, lining up in the Alfredo di Stefano tunnel. I would call it a training ground but we got told off by Ronald Koeman in the week.

"It's disparaging to a big club like Madrid (to say it is a training pitch), they've chosen the time to do renovation works at their stadium and they've chosen well," Koeman said.

"Madrid are used to playing on that pitch and the opponents have to play there, and that's that."

Image source, Getty Images

Leaders Atletico Madrid, by the way, will be hoping for a draw tonight you'd think. They play Betis this time tomorrow night.

• Real Madrid have only lost one of their last 19 La Liga games (W14 D4), 1-2 vs Levante in January 2021, after losing three of their previous six in the competition (W2 D1).
• Barcelona have won their last nine away La Liga games and could win 10 in a row away from home in a single season for the third time in their history – 10 in January 2011 under Pep Guardiola and 10 in January 2013 under Tito Vilanova and Jordi Roura.

Lionel Messi goes through a free-kick routine or two, which mainly consists of bending them into the top corner. Ousmane Dembele is going to play through the middle as Barca's main striker tonight.