FC Barcelona - Real Betis live updates

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! Barcelona 2 (34 mins - Lionel Messi) Real Betis 0. What a special goal that was! Messi chips a pass over the top for Neymar, who returns the favour by squaring the pass. Messi has the simple task of sliding home the finish.

Mel has now been sent from his technical area. The Real Betis manager has had a bit too much to say to the officials and he has been sent to the stands. He's still fuming at that call!

YELLOW CARD: Petros (Real Betis)

Well, what a strange sequence of events that was. That was never a penalty kick, and some of the Real Betis players are still protesting to the referee and the officials on the touchline.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! Barcelona 1 (29 mins - Heiko Westermann OG) Real Betis. When your luck is out, your luck is out! Neymar slips, his penalty kick hits the bar but in stretching for the rebound Westermann pokes the ball into his own net.

PENALTY KICK TO BARCELONA! What an incredible decision. The referee has given Barcelona a penalty kick for that clash between Messi and Adan. What was the keeper supposed to do?

MESSI IS DOWN! The Barcelona number 10 was cleaned out by Adan as the Real Betis goalkeeper came out to punch the ball away. That was a rough one, but the keeper won the ball.

AND NOW NEYMAR HAS THE CHANCE! The cross into the Real Betis penalty area finds the Brazilian's head, but he can only direct his effort into the gloves of Adan. That was an oportunity.

BETIS SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE LEAD! Ceballas breaks in behind the Barcelona defence, but takes too long to shot - allowing Alves the chance to get back and make the last-gasp challenge.

BRAVO IS CALLED INTO ACTION! I think it was Castro who had the shot from distance, but whoever it was stung the palms of the Barcelona keeper with the long range effort.

His range is slightly off. Messi lines up the freekick on the edge of the penalty area, but he can only send his shot wide of the near post. There was too much whip on that to bother Adan.

Well, Messi has come over to the touchline to change his boots! For whatever reason, he wasn't happy with the ones he had on! I know what was wrong with them. They weren't plain black.

After a lightning start by the home side, the tempo has fallen out of the game somewhat. That's a good thing for Real Betis, because Barcelona were just starting to build some momentum.

Pepe Mel is forced into an early change. Bruno was injured by his own goalkeeper, with Adan crashing into the player as he punched clear. On comes Pezzella in his place. Concern for Betis.

Real Betis sub: Bruno Gonzalez OFF, German Pezzella ON.

Neymar seems intent on starting a fight with someone tonight. He's in the ear of the opposition, the referee, everyone. What's the matter with him? Someone needs to get a grip of him.

Barcelona face nine games in 31 days over January, so it's perhaps unsurprising that Enrique has made a number of changes for this match. He will surely rotate his squad over the next few weeks.

Luis Enrique has made a number of changes to his team, with Roberto, Mathieu and Vermaelen all starting for Barcelona this evening. Not that such changes weaken them massively.