Good evening and welcome to Eurosport's LIVE coverage of the Spanish Liga fixture between Athletic Club and Barcelona. We'll bring you all the action as it happens at San Mames. Kick off is at 7.45pm.

Messi shot on target! The Barcelona number 10 gets the effort on target, but Herrerin deals with the awkward strike at his near post. He fumbles it behind for a corner kick to the Catalans.

Valverde's side have played a lot of football since the winter break and that might be starting to show here. Barcelona haven't had much of an edge to their play in this first half.

Barcelona need to be careful here. They are the frontrunners at the top of La Liga. They have a commanding lead. But Real Madrid are resurgent. They don't want the gap to narrow any further.

Much of Athletic Club's attacking play is coming down the left side. That's because they have the pace of Williams to use on that side and Roberto is isolated. He is the weak link.

Busquets and Roberto get mixed up with each other and Barcelona give the ball straight to Athletic Club in the centre of the pitch. That has been a common theme in this first half.

Messi is starting to dictate things for Barcelona, although it's quite clear that the Argentinean isn't quite all there. He is doing a lot of walking down. The usual pace is gone.

The intensity that Athletic Club are playing with is giving Barcelona some problems. The Catalans are struggling to find their usual passing flow. The hosts are disrupting them.

We are still waiting for the first goal this evening, but this has been a highly entertaining opening 30 minutes. Both teams have had chances to find the back of the net. Compelling.

Off the top of the bar! Herrerin came off his line to smother Semedo, who had broken in behind. That left the Athletic keeper stranded, though. Messi attempted the lob, but the shot bounces off the top of the bar.

Another Ter Stegen save! Barcelona once again have their German goalkeeper to thank for keeping things level. This time it's an overhead kick by Garcia! That would have been spectacular.

Williams bursts into the box! That was a chance for the Athletic Club forward, who has the pace to get in behind the Barcelona defence, but Lenglet comes across to make the block.

Suarez should score! There's the first real opportunity for Barcelona to take the lead. The pass from Messi over the top was fantastic, but Suarez glances his header wide of the post.

The approach of the home side early on in this match has been impressive. Barcelona are seeing more of the ball, but it feels like Athletic Club are doing more with it to pose a threat.

The Barcelona coaching staff insisted before kick off that Messi was fully fit, but it certainly doesn't look like it on the basis of the first 20 minutes of the match here. Not at it.

Right across the face! Just seconds after making a stunning save, Ter Stegen misses a corner kick and the ball flashes right across the face of the Barcelona goal and wide. Yikes!