That’s all for now. Thanks as always for following along with us and be sure to check back later for a full match report.
Full-time: Barcelona 2-1 Sevilla
And there’s the final whistle. Barca remain unbeaten in La Liga, four points clear of Valencia, holding off a redoubled Sevilla effort during the second half.
90 min+2: A great chance for Sevilla but Corchia is ruled offside.
90 min+1: The fourth official has called for four minutes of stoppage time.
90 min: Rakitic off, Mascherano on.
86 min: More good interplay between Messi and Rakitic, but a pass to Suarez is broken up. Barcelona running out the clock here in a match that is closer than it should be, really.
82 min: Rakitic has been down in the area for some time. Replays indicate the contact was largely incidental, but probably still warranted a penalty.
81 min: Rakitic is pulled down in the area and the referee swallows his whistle to the horror of the Camp Nou crowd!
79 min: Banega takes a shot from the top of the area but there’s not much on it and it’s easily corralled by Ter Stegen.
76 min: Some good link-up play by Sevilla in the final third and they win a corner. Pizarro has a go from distance but it caroms off a Barca player toward the halfway line.
72 min: Moments ago Barca made their second sub as Deulofeu came on for Paco. Now a deflected shot falls to the foot of Messi, but he misses the target.
68 min: Not to be deterred, Sevilla organize an attack right off the restart but it’s broken up by Umtiti. Messi finds Suarez on the other end but the Uruguayan misfires once more.
GOAL! Barcelona 2-1 Sevilla (Alcacer, 65 min)
And just like that, Alcacer has his second. A beautiful ball played to Rakitic at the corner of the area, whose entry pass finds the foot of a sliding Paco. A stunning goal!
62 min: Pique rattles the woodwork with a well struck shot from 25 yards, but it caroms over the bar for a goal kick.
60 min: Barca make their first sub as Paulinho comes on for Iniesta.
GOAL! Barcelona 1-1 Sevilla (Pizarro, 59 min)
Corner for Sevilla and Pizarro rushes to the service and heads it home for the equalizer!
58 min: Sevilla come thisclose to equalizing on a two-on-two attack when Sarabia has a shot off a ball in space but Semedo races back to break it up!
55 min: Sevilla look far improved this half, better organized with more incisive passing in attack.
50 min: A lackadaisical pass by Suarez is intercepted and Sevilla are quick and technically precise in the counter, but can’t manage a shot before Marc intervenes.
Updated
47 min: First chance of the half is Sevilla’s as Muriel has a go from the top of the area and it just misses the top-left corner beyond the outstretched arms of Ter Stegen.
46 min: The second half is under way!
Half-time: Barcelona 1-0 Sevilla
No added time for injury as the referee blows the whistle right on the 45-minute mark. Barcelona are halfway to their 10th league win of the season, though surely they deserve more than the one goal in their ledger.
43 min: Messi picks out Suarez from midfield. The defender sweeps away the ball and it’s out for a Barcelona corner. Nothing comes of it, but the clearance is trapped at midfield by Messi and they’ll build the attack from the middle third again.
Updated
40 min: Five minutes to half-time and Barcelona are looking sharp with much credit due to Iniesta, who’s been at his incisive best so far.
@BryanAGraham Iniesta back, FCB look sharper & more fluid. A giant of the game, criminal he hasn’t won the Balon D’Oro! Some player him!
— John McEnerney (@MackerOnTheMed) November 4, 2017
37 min: The rain seems to have picked up over the last few minutes.
36 min: Sevilla have won their first corner. It’s played to the near post and headed away by Suarez.
32 min: A chance now for Sevilla off the break, but Umtiti breaks it up and Barca have possession again.
30 min: A half hour in and Barcelona are dominating the action more than the scoreline would suggest.
28 min: Another near strike for Barca as the ball is sent by Rakitic across the mouth of the goal but Alcacer misses on a back heel and it’s cleared before the hosts can convert.
Updated
GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Sevilla (Alcacer, 23 min)
Suarez sends a long ball downfield to Alcacer. Sevilla’s Escudero makes a shambles of it in defense and the striker is there for the clinical finish. Replays indicate Alcacer may have been the slightest bit offside but after Barca failed to convert four clear chances in the first 22 minutes, they’re deservedly in front.
Updated
20 min: Messi picks out Suarez for what would have been an elementary tap-in, but cut out at the last moment by the defense.
18 min: Pique finds Iniesta with a perfect pass, but Iniesta’s powerful effort from just outside the area soars just over the crossbar.
17 min: Suarez turns toward goal and turns on the jets, beating his first man and nearly the second. But a well-timed tackle by the Sevilla left back short-circuits the attack.
14 min: First chance for Sevilla as Muriel dispossesses Umtiti, keys a rapid counter and has a one-on-one chance on the other end. He fires it past the keeper toward the upper-left corner but just misses the target. Out for a goal kick.
Updated
10 min: Messi is brought down after slaloming through a trio of Sevilla players, but nothing comes from the restart.
8 min: Sensational football from Barcelona early on. Three clear shots on goal so far, a pair generated by Iniesta. They’ve had Sevilla on the back foot from the opening bell.
5 min: Five minutes in and Barca should likely be two goals up. Iniesta just found Messi with a precise pass, whose first-touch dish to Busi is cleared off the line.
3 min: Messi puts it into the wall. The moments later a magical moment from Messi, making his 600th appearance for the Blaugrana today, whose low shot is parried out for a corner.
2 min: Suarez hecked down badly by the Danish international Simon Kjaer about 25 yards from the goal. A free kick coming.
1 min: And they’re off! Barcelona attacking from left to right in their traditional home kits, Sevilla from right to left in all-white strips.
Brisk winds and steady rains today at the Camp Nou as the teams emerge from the tunnel. Heavy thunderstorms in the forecast before the night is through.
Lots of talk over Luis Suarez, who’s been limited to three goals in his last 13 appearances. Can he shake the frigid run of form today at home?
Hello and welcome to today’s La Liga match between Barcelona and Sevilla at the Camp Nou. Ernesto Valverde’s side, who enter one point clear of second-place Valencia with a game in hand, are out to extend their unbeaten start to the league campaign while coming in off a mostly underwhelming mid-week draw against Olympiakos in the Champions League. They’re face one of their first big tests of the league today against Eduardo Berizzo’s Sevilla.
Kickoff is just about 15 minutes away, so let’s get right to the teams.
Barcelona
XI: Ter Stegen; Alba, Umtiti, Pique, Semedo; Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Alcacer, Suarez, Messi
Subs: Cillissen, Digne, Vermaelen, Mascherano, Denis, Paulinho, Deulofeu
Sevilla
XI: Soria; Corchia, Kjaer, Lenglet, Escudero; N’Zonzi, Pizarro; Navas, Banega, Sarabia; Muriel
Subs: Rico, Carole, Geis, Ganso, Vázquez, Nolito, Ben Yedder
Updated
Bryan will be here shortly. Until then, here’s Sid Lowe on another Catalan side impressing...
...and Barney Ronay on Lionel Messi.
