Barcelona escaped the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium with their unbeaten 2017-18 La Liga record still intact after a dramatic 2-2 draw against Sevilla.

The hosts' strong first-half was rewarded in the 36th-minute through Franco Vazquez's goal, and Luis Muriel doubled their advantage five minutes after the interval.

Despite the likes of Andres Iniesta, Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele and Luis Suarez on the pitch, Barca looked resigned to losing their first league match of the season - enter Lionel Messi.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner missed both of Argentina's friendlies during the international break due to a muscle injury and was only fit enough to start on the bench at Sevilla.

However, with his side 2-0 down, Barca manager Ernesto Valverde had no choice but to risk Messi, and what the 30-year-old was able to produce was nothing short of amazing.

Messi rescues Barca at Sevilla

Messi was substituted on for Dembele in the 58th-minute on Saturday night, and the game changed straight away as the little magician instantly knitted Barca's attacking moves together.

Whether it was dropping as deep as the halfway line to get the ball off Ivan Rakitic or not being afraid to take shots from distance, Messi was constantly involved in the action.

In fact, it was Messi's tracking back and brilliant interception during a Sevilla counter-attack which actually led to Suarez pulling the first goal back moments later.

Per Sofascore, the Argentine spent the majority of his time in the inside-right attacking channel, and it was his stunning goal in the 89th-minute which earned his team a point.

Denis Suarez smartly hit the brakes after Coutinho's cutback to allow Messi to fire a first-time 25-yard strike past goalkeeper Sergio Rico.

Messi's individual highlights

Messi's inspirational 32-minute cameo was without doubt the main factor in Barca preserving their unbeaten 2017-18 league streak.

Enjoy the best moments from his performance in one of the videos below:

With Cristiano Ronaldo rested for Real Madrid's 3-0 win at Las Palmas, Messi now has a four-goal lead over both the Portuguese icon and teammate Suarez in the race for the Pichichi.

His equaliser against Sevilla means the mesmerising forward now has a tally of 26 goals (36 in all competitions) and 12 assists in La Liga so far this term.

Boasting a 12-point lead at the top of the table, Barca now turn their attention to the Champions League quarter-final first leg at home to Italian giants Roma on Wednesday.

What is YOUR opinion on Messi's display against Sevilla? Do YOU think he saved Barca's unbeaten run? Have YOUR say in the comments box below!