SPORTS
Pre - season: Tammy Abraham and Barkley
Triple Chelsea substitution
61min: Perhaps needing a fresh injection of legs, Chelea make three changes with Olivier Giroud, Ross Barkley and Kenedy coming on for Tammy Abraham, Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount.
Another Kepa save - similar to the last one as he stops a low effort.
59min: Bust start to the half for Kepa. He now has to dive down low to his left to parry clear 25-yard Carles Alena strike which was heading for the bottom corner.
58min: Perez is 'doing a Chelsea' getting into good positions only to waste his chances. The ball is worked towards the forward at the back post but he opts to shoot towards the near post and it is the wrong choice as Kepa saves easily. Not even in pre-season are keepers caught out by those that easily.
55min: Barcelona have been much the better team in the first 10 minutes. Rafinha's powerful low drive across goal is well saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga, while Carles Perez weaves his way into the box before firing straight at the Chelsea stopper.
52min: There are three Chelsea changes. Kurt Zouma, Marcos Alonso, Fikayo Tomori are on for David Luiz, Emerson and Andreas Christensen.
Right, back up to date.
49min: Here is the second half Barcelona XI: Neto; Semedo, Todibo, Lenglet, Guillem; De Jong, Rakitic, Alena; Malcom, Rafinha, Carles Perez.
48min: Malcom is one of the Barca players on and he drags just wide at the start of the half from the edge of the box.
SECOND HALF: Barcelona make a range of changes as we restart
In fact I think they have changed their whole 11, while Chelsea have made two alterations. I'll get those to you when I have them.
That was a positive 45 minutes for Chelsea
It is that time of year where performances matter more than the result, and Chelsea get an A- minus from me in that first period.
They have looked sharp all over the pitch... except in attack. While they have controlled an undercooked Barcelona well in that first period, some of Chelsea's finishing has been poor. It's their one blemish so far. Otherwise that is a deserved one-goal lead.
HALF-TIME: Chelsea 1-0 Barcelona
45min: Griezmann's had a few good touches in this first half and on the whole has linked up well with Dembele. He collects a pass inside the box but from the angle fires wide of the post.
43min: Some work for Kepa now, but he eats these shots for breakfast as Dembele's dragged effort from the edge of the box lacks the power to trouble Chelsea's No 1.
41min: Another positive, at least on a personal level for Abraham, is that none of his team-mates are proving that useful in front of goal either.
Another Barca error leads to Pulisic countering into the box, only to wildly lash wide high of the near post.
38min: I know it is just pre-season but that was an important goal for Abraham. That miss earlier was the kind to make you doubt the quality of a striker, but he has since made up for that with the opening goal. Barca back with the ball but doing nothing with it.
GOAL! CHELSEA 1-0 Barcelona
35min: Much better composure from Tammy Abraham! Sergio Busquets is caught in possession by Jorginho, and the ricochet falls into the path of the striker who calmly takes the ball past Ter Stegen before slotting home.
32min: Props to the Chelsea defence in this first half. Griezmann and Dembele both get into promising positions on the edge of the box but their shots are charged down.
29min: Barca with the ball but Chelsea with the chances. Again though the finishing is poor after Azpilicueta cuts the ball across for Pulisic inside the box.
The summer arrival tries to shoot first time across goal into the bottom corner but his connection is poor and it is dragged very poorly wide.
26min: Now Mason Mount goes close, taking advantage of the mess Gerard Pique and Umtiti get themselves into before lashing just over from 25 yards.
23min: Chelsea should be ahead! Christian Pulisic cuts inside before firing in at goal straight at Marc Andre ter-Stegen, who poorly parries the ball in front of him.
It falls straight for Tammy Abraham who from six yards out fires over. No excuses, you have to score those.
22min: Barcelona are starting to take control of the game now, as they shake off the cobwebs and take the game to Chelsea.
It's nothing too much of a concern right now for Frank Lampard's side, who are defending comfortably enough.
19min: That was a nasty challenge from Jorginho, which in a bigger game would almost certainly have earned him a yellow card, at least.
He ploughs in two-footed on Antoine Griezmann who stays down for a couple of minutes to receive treatment.
From Sportsmail's Matt Barlow at the Saitama Stadium
'Barcelona’s Riqui Puig the smallest and youngest player to start, has been the star of the opening 15 mins with wonderful range of touches and slick passing. Another diminutive gem from Barca.'
14min: Good keeping from Kepa. But this Riqui Puig in the Barca team looks like he could be worth keeping an eye on in the future.
The 19-year-old produces a terrific flick to play Ousmane Dembele into the box, but Kepa is off his line quickly to foil the chance.
11min: Going to try and leap to the defence of the Japanese crowd. Without being certain I would suggest that observing action in near silence is just part of their entertainment culture.
I've seen a Guns N' Roses performance in Tokyo in front of a crowd that watched it all like it was a night at the opera. This is peak early 1990s 'Guns' too.
I promise there will be no more GNR chat, and if it is any consolation - nothing has happened or is happening on the pitch.
From Sportsmail's Matt Barlow at the Saitama Stadium
'Game being played in near silence. What’s the opposite of electric? Flat? Without charge? It’s that. Even in top tier of the stand we can hear the players’ calls. Good play received by polite applause and the occasional roar when close to goal.
8min: Chelsea getting on top. Emerson is alert to run onto a quick free-kick on the left but his low ball into the box is hacked clear by Samuel Umtiti.
5min: The Blues (playing in their white away kit) hit back though. Mateo Kovacic floats a cross to the back post where a bullying Cesar Azpilicueta leaps high above a defender to nod just wide.
2min: Already Barcelona go close to opening the scoring. Oriol Busquets is partnering his namesake Sergio in the centre of the midfield, and he loops a header just over the bar following a corner kick. Kepa Arrizabalaga looked like he had it covered.
KICK-OFF: Chelsea get us underway
Here is a reminder of how the teams line up.
From Sportsmail's Matt Barlow at the Saitama Stadium
'Raining here in Saitama north of Tokyo as the teams walk out of the tunnel down a red carpet beating the name of the match sponsors. Many spectators in the uncovered ends are in white plastic raincoats like a forensics team. Oh, and there’s a shiny trophy on a pedestal. That’ll be the Rakuten Cup.'
The warm ups are complete at the Saitama Stadium
Chelsea getting some air time, while Antoine Griezmann is getting ready for his first Barca test.
How much can you take away from a pre-season campaign?
It's a frustrating time of year to try and judge a side but you can pick a few clues now and then.
Chelsea are a prime example of that. As Premier League champions they headed into the 2015-16 season following a dire pre-season including losing 4-2 to New York Red Bulls in a chaotic defensive display. A few months later Jose Mourinho was gone after the worst ever start by defending champions.
So where would they stand today if Barcelona tear them a new one? It's worth a thought if Barca playing their first pre-season game pile on the goals.
What happened the last time these side faced each other?
In a nutshell, Barcelona ran riot. They won a last-16 Champions League tie 3-0 at the Nou Camp to progress 4-1 on aggregate last year.
Lionel Messi (of course) was the man behind the destruction, scoring twice. He is not around to repeat those heroics again but the night's other goal scorer Ousmane Dembele is.
Does the Saitama Stadium look familiar to you at all?
Maybe if I call it by its full name of the 'Saitama Stadium 2002', that might give you a clue?
No? Fine. It was one of the venues for the 2002 World Cup held in Japan and South Korea. It even held England's opening game of the tournament when they drew 1-1 with Sweden.
Sol Campbell headed Sven Goran Eriksson's side in front from a David Beckham corner, only for Everton's Niclas Alexandersson to equalise in the second period.
Christian Pulisic makes his first start for Chelsea in one of five changes
Chelsea make five alterations to the side that started the 1-0 defeat by Kawasaki Frontale, including handing a first start to summer arrival Christian Pulisic.
He comes into the side along with Kepa Arrizabalaga, Andreas Christensen, Emerson and Tammy Abraham as Willy Caballero, Kurt Zouma, Marcos Alonso, Kenedy and Michy Batshuayi make way.
There is no Frenkie de Jong in the Barcelona XI but as expected there is a first appearance in Barca colours for summer signing Antoine Griezmann.
Chelsea starting XI
Kepa, Christensen, Luiz, Azpilicueta, Emerson, Jorginho, Kovacic, Mount, Pulisic, Pedro, Abraham.
But will he get the chance to impress today? He was ill for the clash with Kawasaki Frontale. Team news for the Blues should be in shortly, until then here is how Lampard plans to use the striker this term.
Still waiting for the Chelsea XI, as they inspect the pitch
Olivier Giroud looking a little unhappy with the surface between the technical areas. Only the best it seems will do for that man.
Ter Stegen, Pique, Umtiti, Jordi Alba, Roberto, S. Busquets, Riqui Puig, Collado, O. Busquets, Dembele, Griezmann.
The Chelsea team have arrived at the Saitama Stadium
One that has spent over £200million this year to try and get back to dominating Europe. As a result expect 'debuts' (do they really count as debuts in pre-season?) for the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Antoine Griezmann.
This is Barcelona's first pre-season game and they will be without Lionel Messi, Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez following their Copa America exploits this summer.
So was the Kawasaki Frontale defeat just a blip for Chelesa?
Or was it the start of a more serious problem? Either way the games are not getting easier for them as their pre-season schedule continues with a clash against Barcelona in the Rakuten Cup (the one they all want to win.)
Hello all and welcome to our live coverage of all the action as it happens.
