Jordi Alba strike rescues a point for still unbeaten Barcelona against Valencia

Jordi Alba's strike has rescued a point for Barcelona. Both teams remain unbeaten after 13 La Liga games but the Catalans remain at the summit with a four point lead still intact.

Full-time: Valencia 1-1 Barcelona

A chance for Zaza to win it right at the death! Valencia spring forward on the counter with a cross finding the Italian at the near post. He opts for the first time volley but fires into the ground with the bounce taking it over the bar.

Four minutes of time added on at the end of this match.

Gerard Deulofeu flicks a corner kick across goal with Paulinho on the end of it and perhaps should do better to get a header on target, getting underneath the ball and nodding well over the bar.

Out of nowhere, Barcelona have equalised! Jordi Alba stuns the Mestalla, darting in from the box to get on the end of a wonderful diagonal pass from Messi and fire an acrobatic volley home. Messi has been quiet all evening but for one second, he was given the room to produce that magic pass that set up the goal.

Goal! Valencia 1-1 Barcelona (Jordi Alba, 81)

Here is a change for Valencia with Andreas Pereira on for the goalscorer Rodrigo.

Valencia miss a golden opportunity to make it two! Guedes is slipped in by Rodrigo, opting hold the ball up and cut inside by Alba, but the defender does just to ease him off the ball.

Here's Barcelona's first change of the evening: Gerard Deulofeu is on for Rakitic.

Valencia have taken the lead! They have been so much better in the second-half and now they have their reward. Guedes drives inside from the left before playing clever pass through for Gaya down the left channel. He skips past Semedo elegantly before forcing a cross into six yard box where Rodrigo has peeled away from Vermaelen to fire home from close range.

Goal! Valencia 1-0 Barcelona (Rodrio 59)

Amd we are back underway for the second half with both sides unchanged.

Half-time: Valencia 0-0 Barcelona

Barcelona are cranking up the pressure; Suarez wins a battle with Gaya, fighting off the defender in a race to the ball before taking a shot on from a tight ankle. He forces a low effort across goal but Neto makes the stop.

Messi and Iniesta combine with an outrageous one two with the latter freed to take a shot on from just outside the box but he lifts his effort wide of Neto's post.

With no goal-line technology, the match officials had a big call to make. And they got it wrong, big time.

Barcelona feel they should be ahead! A ball comes in from the right to Messi who sweeps a first-time shot on goal that should be a standard save for Neto. Should be. Instead, the Valencia goalkeeper spills it over the line before clawing it back out. Did the ball cross the line? Definitely. But play continues with the officials deciding not to give the goal.

Barcelona can't protest for too long, Valencia surge forward on the counter attack with Zaza working room to shoot just inside the box, but sends his low effort the wrong side of the post.

With no Pique, Samuel Umtiti is carrying a lot more responsibility tonight but he has flawless so far, stepping up to expertly intercept an attempted ball from Parejo just now,

Luis Suarez looks to be in some pain at the moment, he's clutching his back after taking a heavy tumble. It should be able to carry on, however.

Vermaelen plays a fine ball down the inside left channel for Alba to scamper onto. He's on the end of it as it bounces into the box but is shrugged off the ball by Gabriel, who is then tripped over by the Barcelona full-back. Valencia get the free kick.

Ivan Rakitic tries his luck from 25 yards out but it is a comfortable save for Neto in the Valencia goal. Barca have been limited to shots from range so far, none of them causing any trouble.

Luis Suarez is on the spot to clear the first corner and Valencia make a mess of the one that follows it with Parejo running the ball out of play.

Busquets gives the ball away deep in his own half and invites Rodrigo to dart inside the box but the midfielder recovers well to slide in and force the ball out for a corner.

Lots of possession from Barcelona in these opening minutes, as you would expect.

Here we go! Barcelona get us started.

We are almost ready to go; both teams are on their way out of the tunnel and onto the pitch at a rocking Mestalla.

15 minutes until kick-off. Just a reminder of what is at stake here; Valencia can close the gap on league leaders Barcelona to a single point if they can inflict the first defeat of Ernesto Valverde's tenure at the Catalan giants tonight.

Ernesto Valverde has named a team with four midfielders and no wide options, with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez the double act up front. Has the manager gone for a 4-4-2 or a 4-1-3-2 with Sergio Busquets operating behind the trio of Andres Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic and Paulinho?

Simone Zaza is fit enough to start this evening, he joins Rodrigo in attack with Santi Mina dropping to the bench. Gabriel Paulista comes in to partner Ezequiel Garay at the heart of defence.

We will have a rare Thomas Vermaelen sighting this evening; the former Arsenal defender is starting his first game for Barcelona in 624 days.

Valencia got some welcome at the Mestalla this evening. Incredible!

Valencia team to face Barcelona: Neto; Montoya, Garay, Gabriel, Gayà; Soler, Parejo, Kondogbia, Guedes; Zaza, Rodrigo.

Barcelona team to face Valencia: Stegen; Semedo, Vermaelen, Umtiti, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta, Paulinho; Messi, Suárez.

BREAKING: Thomas Vermaelen comes in at centre-half with Gerard Pique suspended.

Keeping Lionel Messi quiet is usually the sternest task when taking on Barcelona but finding a way through their impressive defence is proving to be just as difficult this season. Ernesto Valverde's side have conceded just four goals in their 12 league matches this season, only Sevilla, Atletico Madrid, Eibar and Getafe have found a way through.

Confirmed Barcelona squad tonight:

Team news: Barcelona

Gerard Pique picked up his fifth yellow card of the season last weekend which rules him out tonight despite Barcelona's attempts to have it overturned. Javier Mascherano meanwhile is still sidelined with a hamstring injury, meaning Ernesto Valverde will have to turn to Thomas Vermaelen to partner Samuel Umtiti in defence.

Centre back David Costas, on loan from Celta, has been included in the 18-man squad that will be heading south on Sunday morning, as had already been confirmed by Valverde at his pre-match press conference.

Team news: Valencia

The home side have two injury absentees in the form of midfielder Nemanja Maksimovic and centre-back Jeison Murillo, after the latter suffered a groin injury during the 2-0 victory at Espanyol.

Former Arsenal defender Gabriel Paulista is expected to start at the back alongside Ezequiel Garay.

Valencia have one other major absentee this evening: their manager. Marcelino will be watching from the stands tonight after being handed a two-match touchline ban for getting a little too vocal in the win over Espanyol last Sunday.

Marcelino on Simone Zaza

Team news: Valencia

Valencia manager Marcelino Garcia Toral confirmed this week Simone Zaza will be available for tonight's game despite concerns over his knee injury. The former Juventus striker, who has nine goals in 11 appearances this season, has been playing with a partial muscle tear in his knee with reports suggesting the Italian will have to undergo surgery in the near future but his manager feels he will be ready to lead his attack tonight.