Welcome to LIVE text coverage of the Champions League last 16 first leg between Bayer Leverkusen and Barcelona at the BayArena.

Iniesta darts forward suddenly, as he likes to do, but his pass for Adriano has too much on it and rolls out for a goal kick.

Iniesta spreads the ball wide to Adriano, who cuts in from his advanced position on the left and produces a terrible effort with his right boot that flies well off target.

Oh dear. Alves guilty of a very sloppy pass to Messi that eludes the little Argentinian and rolls out of play.

Barca are the masters of possession but Leverkusen really aren't helping themselves here whatsoever. Another sloppy pass gifts the ball back to the away side.

Stat from Opta: "Barcelona allowed their opponents just seven shots on target in the group stage, fewer than any other team."

Mascherano is drawn into a foul in the centre of the pitch some 40 yards from goal but Andre Schuerrle wastes the rare chance for Leverkusen when his free kick floats out of play.

Mascherano thinks for a second he is Xavi when trying to hoof the ball 50 yards for Alves but the ball runs out of play near the corner flag.

Renato Augusto is caught in the face by the boot of Abidal after sliding in on the Frenchman and requires a bit of treatment on the sidelines. He will be fine though.

Fabregas looks for one of those long balls over the top for Sanchez but Leverkusen are alert and tidy up with little incident.

Sergio Busquets picks out Cesc Fabregas with a glorious reverse pass from the centre of the pitch but the latter's cross is cut out while Messi waits to pounce.

Stat from Opta: "Barcelona could become the first away team to win more than once at the BayArena in the Champions League."

Messi helps bundle the ball through the Leverkusen backline and moves into position to tap home a cross from Sanchez from the left, but Schwaab slides in to take the ball away. Superb defending.

Alves it is but the Brazil international smashes the ball high over the bar. That was a poor attempt, but in truth the free kick probably was a bit far out for the more delicate technique of Messi.

Gonzalo Castro is penalised for a trip on Messi and it was a bit of a messy challenge. Barca have a free kick 35 yards from goal and Messi and Alves are over it.

The TV cameras pick out Xavi and Gerard Pique in the stands. Both players trained last night but didn't make the bench.

Lionel Messi takes the subsequent free kick from the left and goes square to Alves before ghosting in behind the defence to attempt to receive a ball over the top from the right back. It's a lovely idea but doesn't quite come off.

Daniel Schwaab is the first place in the book, and rightly so as he goes in high and late on Eric Abidal. Silly to get booked so early in the game against a side as tricky as Barcelona.

That stat will be extended tonight if the opening exchanges are anything to go by. Leverkusen have lost the ball far too frequently already.

Stat from Opta: "Barcelona have dominated possession in all of their 44 Champions League matches under Pep Guardiola’s management."

Barca's away form really has been dreadful in La Liga this season so this is by no means a foregone conclusion tonight, even if they are now focused on cup competitions having fallen so far behind Real Madrid.

Now Javier Mascherano tries a searching ball over the top for Alexis Sanchez, who can't get on the end of it after breaking in behind the Bayer defence.