Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the first Liga Clasico of the season as leaders Real Madrid host champions Barcelona, kicking off at 9pm UK time and 10pm local time.

Iniesta exchanges passes with a couple of team-mates before Coentrao brings his run to an end with an expert sliding challenge just inside the box.

Diarra flies into a challenge on Busquets, who is sent spinning round in the air. Busquets makes the most of it, as he always does, and the yellow card stays in the referee's pocket.

Ronaldo beats the wall this time and the ball bounces in front of Valdes, but the Barca keeper does well to clasp onto it.

Ronaldo it is who takes the free-kick and after his shot smacks the wall, Alves brings down Pepe in a central position to give Ronaldo another chance.

Pique is booked as Ronaldo is sent tumbling to the turf. He left his leg out but it looked potentially to be a dive. Anyway, a free-kick to Madrid...

More risky goalkeeping from Valdes as he dallies before dinking a pass out to Pique. Barca do like to demonstrate their poise in possession under pressure but this is getting ridiculous.

Xavi collects a pass just 20 yards from goal but he can't find a Barca shirt when trying to thread a pass through in his usual fashion.

KICK OFF!

Liam Canning predicts a 3-1 win for Barcelona on Twitter, while Douglas Barrett agrees.

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HALF-TIME. Goals from Benzema and Sanchez ensure we go in level but Madrid have probably been the better side in an intense encounter.

A sloppy pass from Di Maria brings a promising break to a halt but Barca can't create a chance when they take the ball forward.

Messi chops down Alonso and the referee appears to start moving his hand towards his pocket, but decides against it. The home fans howl for a second booking for the Barca start but it never comes. In all honesty it wasn't worth a booking.

Marcelo lifts a cross into the box but Eric Abidal rises above Ronaldo to head away for Barcelona.

Alves halts his run as he anticipates a pass from Xavi will be cut out. It is a mistake, as the pass is perfectly weighted and Xavi, rightly, is annoyed.

Pepe trips Sanchez again and he appears to be getting to the Chile forward. Sanchez is furious when a free-kick is awarded and tells Pepe how many times he has fouled him tonight.

Diarra goes in late on Fabregas as the Barca midfielder shifts the ball but avoids a booking.

Gerard Pique produces an important tackle to half Benzema as the Frenchman threatens to drive into the Barcelona box.

Madrid look to instigate another counter-attack and Di Maria races down the right with the ball, but his ball into the centre is listless and fails to find a team-mate.

Xavi takes the free-kick but Casillas punches away. Fabregas then attempts to run the ball into the box but lets it get away from him as he tumbles to the floor.

Pepe gives Sanchez a little kick by the touchline and the histrionics are just incredible from the Barcelona man. Embarrassing. Messi then gives the referee some chat and gets booked.