Clever defending from Lenglet, who gets himself across Loren to prevent the striker getting onto a throughball, and then draws a foul from the Betis forward.
90'
There will be three minutes of added time.
89'
What a rollercoaster ride of a match this has been. Barca lead, but you would not bet against Betis getting one final opportunity!
87'
Trincão has scored a goal for Barcelona!
GOOOOAAALLLL!!! WHAT A STRIKE! That is a superb finish from Trincao, who could well have won it for Barca! Ruiz failed to clear Betis’ lines and the Portuguese youngster robbed possession before curling an effort – which did take a deflection – into the top-left corner. That’s his first LaLiga goal and Barca lead 3-2.
83'
Loren Morón enters the game and replaces Borja Iglesias.
Sergio Canales enters the game and replaces N. Fekir.
Fekir, who set up Betis' second, has also gone off, with the creative Canales on in his place.
82'
Two substitutions for Betis. One of their scorers Iglesias has made way for Loren.
79'
Blocked! Messi has scored some stunning goals against Betis, but this time he fails to get his free-kick over the wall.
78'
Barca have also made a switch, with Umtiti replacing Busquets, meaning De Jong will advance into midfield.
77'
Víctor Ruiz gets yellow.
S. Umtiti enters the game and replaces Sergio Busquets.
Ruiz is right in the thick of the action, and has just scythed down Messi around 22 yards out from goal, providing Messi with an ideal position from which to take the free-kick...
Minute
Description
75'
G. Rodríguez enters the game and replaces P. Akouokou.
Cristian Tello enters the game and replaces Juanmi.
Víctor Ruiz has scored a goal for Real Betis! Assist by N. Fekir.
GOOOOOAAALLLL!!! RUIZ HEADS HOME! Moments after putting into his own net, Ruiz has restored parity, rising highest to meet Fekir’s wicked cross and send in a powerful header. It’s 2-2!
Fekir’s free-kick was superb, with the former Lyon star putting his cross into the six-yard box, and Ruiz did the rest. It's the centre-back's first goal for Betis.
Akouokou has made way for Betis, with Rodriguez coming on.
A change for Betis. Tello – a former Barca player – is on in place of Juanmi.
74'
Sergio Busquets gets yellow.
A booking for Busquets, who committed a cynical foul on Fekir to prevent the France international getting into the area.
70'
There can just be no doubting Messi’s importance to Barca and, should he leave at the end of this season, you have to wonder how the Blaugrana will manage. The 33-year-old has been on the pitch 13 minutes, and already scored and then played a key part in another goal.
68'
Víctor Ruiz is unfortunate, scores an own goal!
OWN GOAL! A dreadful moment for Ruiz, who bundles into his own net in the most unfortunate fashion. Messi released Alba with a perfect slide-rule pass, and the full-back squared for Griezmann. The Frenchman makes a hash of his finish, but it bounced off him and onto Ruiz, who could only divert it home. It’s 2-1 Barca!
65'
Rodri enters the game and replaces Aitor Ruibal.
Pellegrini makes a change, taking off Ruibal and bringing on Rodri.
64'
O. Dembélé gets yellow.
A booking for Dembele, who hacked down Moreno to prevent a Betis counter.
63'
Messi picks out Alba with a supreme, lofted pass, but Emerson does well to stand his ground and make a well-timed challenge. Moments earlier, the Betis full-back also made a fantastic tackle to deny Messi a route to goal.
62'
Messi has just added a completely different level to Barca’s play. He takes in a pass in the number 10 position and slides in Griezmann, but the former Atletico Madrid forward cannot take it under control.
59'
L. Messi has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by O. Dembélé.
GOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!! MESSI SCORES! Well, that didn’t take long! He has only been on for two minutes, but Messi has already shown his quality. He received a pass from Dembele, cut onto his left foot and planted a wonderful finish into the bottom-right corner. It’s 1-1!
Dembele has been much more of a threat since the restart, but did not have the support or quality elsewhere in Barca’s attack. But Messi has changed that immediately.
57'
Trincão enters the game and replaces M. Pjanić.
L. Messi enters the game and replaces Riqui Puig.
A double change for Barca. Messi is the first to come on, in place of Puig.
Pjanic has also made way, with Trincao coming on.
53'
Pedri has certainly made an impact since coming on, with the youngster adding more pace and urgency to Barca’s attack. He is about to be joined by Messi, who has completed his warm up and is ready to come on.
47'
F. de Jong gets yellow.
De Jong goes into the book for a foul on Fekir.
46'
Pedri enters the game and replaces M. Braithwaite.
No Messi just yet for Barca, but Koeman has made a change, with Braithwaite replaced by Pedri.
The second-half is up and running!
45' +4
HALF-TIME: REAL BETIS 1-0 BARCELONA.
45' +1
There will be four minutes of added time, in the main down to the injuries for Araujo and Mandi.
44'
Whatever Koeman has tried today in Messi’s absence, it has not worked so far. Barca have been too open in midfield, while Araujo’s injury has also hampered them defensively.
42'
Mingueza plays in Griezmann, who cuts it back for Pjanic to shoot. It is deflected out for a corner, but the offside flag then pulls the move back and it is a Betis free-kick.
38'
Borja Iglesias has scored a goal for Real Betis! Assist by Emerson Royal.
That was so simple from Betis’ point of view. Emerson – a player who is on loan at Betis from Barca – burst forward unchallenged and put it on a plate for the hosts’ forward, who finished in style through the legs of Ter Stegen.
GOAL! BETIS TAKE THE LEAD! Barca find themselves all over the place at the back, with Mingueza and Dembele caught upfield. Betis break at pace, with Busquets dragged over. Fekir leads the charge and found Emerson, who delivered a fine cross for Iglesias to tap home from point-blank range. It’s 1-0 Betis!
35'
Busquets tries to pick out Alba with a looped pass over the top of Betis’ defence, but the left-back had just strayed offside.
31'
It has been a scrappy opening 30 minutes to this match, staggered by injuries. So far, just those two clear chances, one for Juanmi and one for Lenglet, who of course was a star during his time with Betis’ rivals Sevilla.
24'
Moreno is fine to carry on, he just took an awkward knock from Dembele. Mandi seems to be struggling but, for now, is continuing.
21'
We could have another injury enforced change here, this time for Betis. Mandi goes down innocuously, and will require medical attention.
18'
A crisp passage of play sees Dembele get a first-time shot off from just inside the Betis area. He was under pressure from Mandi, though, who just did enough to put the France international off.
16'
Good play from Griezmann, as he wrests control of the ball off a Betis defender and then exchanges passes with a team-mate before aiming a cross towards the six-yard box. It is cleared with ease, however, and Barca have to start again.
14'
Betis have a foothold now, and are playing some neat stuff from defence into midfield, forcing Barca back. Indeed, Dembele and Braithwaite are both tracking the hosts’ full-backs way back into their own half.
11'
F. de Jong enters the game and replaces R. Araujo.
Moreno again races clear down Betis’ left and gets in another cross, which Lenglet has to bundle clear at the near post.
Barca have made that change. De Jong is on in place of the stricken Araujo, and the former Ajax man will play alongside Lenglet at the back.
10'
It doesn’t look good for Araujo, who does not appear to be able to walk without support, and Barca may well have to make an early, enforced change. For now, Busquets is filling in at centre-back.
5'
Now it’s Mingueza’s turn to attack, and get at Moreno. He fires in a cross, but it is cut out by a defender before Braithwaite can get there. The battle between the two full-backs down that side could be an exciting one!
3'
A confident, slick start from Barca, with their midfield taking command. However, one slack touch allows Juanmi to break, leading the charge down the left. It is then worked to Moreno, who gets around Mingueza and drills in a low cross which Iglesias almost got on the end of.
1'
KICK-OFF! This match is underway in Seville.
Hello! Welcome to coverage of Barcelona's LaLiga clash with Real Betis. Stick right here for all the action as it happens!
A tight 2-1 win for Real Madrid over Huesca on Saturday, combined with Sevilla’s 3-0 rout of Getafe, has seen Ronald Koeman’s Barca side drop to fourth ahead of this game. However, they would move into second with a victory.
The Blaugrana are in great form away from home, having won their last five league matches on the road. Betis, though, will be no push-overs. They are unbeaten in five LaLiga matches, winning three of their last four.
BARCELONA SUBSTITUTES: Junior Firpo, Arnau Tenas, Neto, Matheus Fernandes, Frenkie de Jong, Trincao, Sergino Dest, Pedri, Lionel Messi, Samuel Umtiti.
BARCELONA (4-3-3): Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Oscar Mingueza, Ronald Araujo, Clement Lenglet, Jordi Alba; Riqui Puig, Sergio Busquets, Miralem Pjanic; Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann, Martin Braithwaite.
The teams are out and we are almost ready to get going!
REAL BETIS (4-2-3-1): Joel Robles; Emerson, Aissa Mandi, Victor Ruiz, Alex Moreno; Paul Akouokou, Andres Guardado; Aitor Ruibal, Nabil Fekir, Juanmi; Borja Iglesias.
Koeman has Messi on the bench and is sure to turn to Barca’s talisman sooner rather than later. Betis, meanwhile, will be content in their shape for now, knowing they can offer plenty of threat on the counter.
REAL BETIS SUBSTITUTES: Daniel Rebollo, Cristian Tello, Sidnei, Sergio Canales, Loren Moron, Yassin Fekir, Guido Rodriguez, Juan Miranda, Martin Montoya, William Carvalho, Rodrigo Sanchez, Joaquin.
Betis will feel as if they did enough to deserve something from the match, but ultimately their five-match unbeaten run has come to an end. Barca, meanwhile have now won six away games in a row in LaLiga and are up to second.
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