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

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.

Barca dominating possession as always in the early stages. Dani Alves attempts to find Messi with a looping pass from the right but sees his ball cut out.

KICK OFF!

Get in contact with me on Twitter if you like during the game. I'll try and use some of your comments here.

Right, it's time for you all to post your pre-match predictions ahead of kick-off... What is your forecast for the scoreline this evening? Who will get on the scoresheet?

We're just 10 minutes from kick-off, and it's time for a pre-match stat: Liverpool are the last side to dump Barcelona out at the last 16 stage of the Champions League, back in the 2006/07 season.

Guardiola has said it is imperative his team score in the first leg. With Barca having struck 12 times and conceded only twice in their three group-stage away fixtures this season, they surely have a good chance of doing so.

Xavi Hernandez is a surprise absentee from the Barcelona lineup. Gerard Pique has also been left out. What do you all make of the two line ups? Get in touch...

Javier Mascherano will slot in alongside Carles Puyol at centre-back with Sergio Busquets returning to midfield in an otherwise familiar-looking lineup for the champions.

STAT: Barcelona scored 20 goals in this season’s Champions League Group Stage, equaling the all-time record set by Manchester United in 1998/99.

Robin Dutt: "Preparing for a match like this is a lot of fun: in the video breakdown of Barcelona you get to see many very, very good football matches. I am looking forward to giving my team some pointers but if we want to make an impact a lot of things will need to come together. There are different ways to beat Barcelona. You can go totally defensive like Inter successfully tried (in the 2009/10 semi-finals), with 10 men behind the ball. Or there is the attacking approach."

Pep Guardiola: "Setbacks are a part of football. We have to return to the ways that have distinguished us. The past years have shown how difficult it is to defend the Champions League. Milan defended their title, but back then it was not the Champions League. You almost get the feeling that it would constitute failure if we did not win the Champions League now; that we have no choice but to win the Champions League, as if this was the easiest thing to do in the world."

THE TEAMS ARE IN! Leverkusen: Leno, Schwaab, Reinartz, Friedrich, Corluka, Kadlec, Castro, Rolfes, Bender, Augusto, Schurrle. SUBS: Yelldell, Oczipka, Da Costa, Toprak, Ortega, Bellarabi, Kiessling. Barcelona: Valdes, Alves, Puyol, Abidal, Fabregas, Iniesta, Mascherano, Busquets, Adriano, Sanchez, Messi. SUBS: Pinto, Bartra, Thiago, Dos Santos, Roberto, Pedro, Cuenca..

TEAM NEWS: Veteran midfielder Michael Ballack will miss the first leg and possibly the second with a calf injury. Renato Augusto may be the man to come in and replace him. Midfielder Sidney Sam and striker Eren Derdiyok are both absent through injury.

Barelona's holding midfielder Sergio Busquets has travelled with the squad despite suffering with a bruised knee. Forward Pedro is also available after returning from a four-game lay-off at the weekend. David Villa and Ibrahim Afellay remain long-term absentees.