A penny for this man's thoughts after that first half?

He showed a bit of frustration towards the referee and his players as the whistle sounded for the interval.

Image source, Getty Images

Well that was an underwhelming first half.

Hopefully it gets better after the break...

Five minutes to be added on at the end of the first half. I don't remember the drinks break being that long?!

Pedri looks up and tries to thread the long ball through the Rayo Vallecano defence.

It doesn't come off as it bounces through to the keeper but perhaps Barca are just starting to think about changing tact?

The whistles start to sound from the stands.

The home fans are unhappy at how long Vallecano keeper Stole Dimitrievski is taking with his goal kicks.

He's flirting with a needless yellow card.

That should have been the opener.

Barcelona move the ball from left to right before it reaches Ousmane Dembele inside the area.

He cuts inside on his left foot but it's a tame effort straight at the goalkeeper.

Rayo Vallecano have their first attempt at goal but Alejandro Catena's header is wide of the mark.

A rare spell for the visitors deep in Barca territory. If they are to get a result tonight, they will have to be more clinical than that.

Time for a drinks break.

It may be the evening in Barcelona but the temperature is still over 30C.

Humid.

Twenty five minutes into the new season and Barca are looking good. The only thing not on their side at the minute is the score line, but they are certainly on the front foot.

Sergio Busquets shows all of his experience to navigate away from trouble.

The veteran midfielder receives the ball on the half turn but is quickly surrounded by two white shirts. He rolls the ball back the other way and out of trouble before moving it wide.

Class.

How many times will we see Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha link up this season?

The former cuts in from the byline and finds the latter, who has peeled off his marker, inside the area.

Raphinha blazes his effort over the bar but it was a good move.

Barca have the ball deep in their own half and Rayo Vallecano are playing a very high line.

Their back four is practically on the half-way line. They must trust their legs against the pace of Raphinha and Ousmane Dembele.

One ball over the top and they could be in trouble.

Robert Lewandowski elegantly lifts the ball into the net - but the flag goes up and he is offside.

That is some finish but he was a few yards past the last defender.

Calls for a penalty from the Barcelona faithful, but nothing doing from the referee.

Raphinha pokes the ball around his opposite number Fran Garcia before taking a tumble in the area.

It looks like the winger is kicked but he is adjudged to be just offside in the build-up by VAR.

Pressing high is the order of the day for Barca.

The front three of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Dembele are all at it, and with some urgency.

As expected, Barca are seeing plenty of the ball in the opening exchanges.

The hosts play out from the back with ease, moving the ball with one touch each.

Man Utd could do with watching how it's done after today's mauling at Brentford.

We're up and running at the Nou Camp...

One to keep an eye on...

Robert Lewandowski has scored on the opening day of the last seven seasons. Will he make it eight in a row this evening?

Image source, Getty Images

Here we go then, the stands are filling and both sets of players are in the Nou Camp tunnel.

We're all set for the start of a new La Liga campaign.

You will have seen in our last entry that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is on the bench tonight.

Football journalist Fabrizio Romano says Chelsea will be in touch with Barcelona over the weekend as they prepare to make an initial bid for the striker.

If he gets on off the bench, could it be his last game for the Spanish club..?