Hello and welcome to LIVE coverage of Elche vs. Barcelona in La Liga. We get underway in 15 minutes.

This game badly needs a goal.

Alexis Sanchez goes to ground in an off-the-ball incident. No foul.

Elche counter at pace, Mascherano is left on his backside and a chance beckons. No it doesn't - the attack collapses.

Sanchez goes into the book for a naughty handball.

The hosts hoist the ball into the penalty area. Barca clear.

The Elche defence was all over the place for that chance, but they survived.

BIG CHANCE! Messi has all the time in the world to fire Barca ahead but - despite lots of neat tricks - the Argentine proceeds to fire straight at the keeper.

We're back underway!

Goalless at the break.

Pedro dinks a shot over the bar after being found by Messi.

Wham. Cisma goes into the book for a foul on Alves.

Manu shows great hands to keep out a drilled effort from distance. The stopper is having a fine game.

Ouch. Two Elche players collide in bizarre circumstances. The hosts sportingly give the ball back to Barca, who had possession at the time of the incident.

Manu gets a big fist on the corner and sends it into touch.

Adriano ventures forward and wins a corner down the left.

Messi flashes the free-kick at goal and Manu does well to tip it wide.

Messi mentally prepares himself to take the free-kick.

Handball? Yep. Alves' cross crashes against Domingo Cisma's arm.

Dani Alves protests his innocence after conceding a free-kick midway inside his own half.

We've had 34 minutes of absorbing football. It's time for a goal now, lads.

Pedro is wearing his unhappy facial expression after his header whistles past the post.