Sergio Busquets has agreed Barcelona are among the favourites for La Liga and the Champions League, but insisted they aren't the favourites.
Barca currently top the table but are level on points with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, while in Europe they are well-placed to reach the quarter-finals after beating Manchester City 2-0 in the first leg of their last 16 tie at the Etihad Stadium.
But Busquets insisted that with so much football still to be played it’s impossible to put one team over another yet.
“It’s too early to say if we’re favourites or not in La Liga and the Champions League,” the midfielder told a Press conference.
“We’re up against the best teams and it’ll be very difficult.
Maybe because of our track record, and because of the players we have, we’re in the group of favourites, but it’s very difficult to win.”
Busquets added that he has been pleased with Barca’s recent form but is still looking for more.
“The team is in very good form [but] I hope the best is still to come.
“We’ve put together a run of good games, and the win against City is good for our Champions League aspirations.
“Our most recent line-ups have given the team a different touch, and in general it has been positive, with more possession, more players in the midfield area.
“The pitch doesn’t seem so long and we’ve really noticed that. We also have other variations.
“Recently we played Valencia, we lost and it seemed like the end of the world.
Now not many weeks have gone by and I don’t think it’s a very long time.
It’s clear that you can have a bad game, but going from that to saying we’re in our best form now and not long ago we were in our worst form…”
Barca are already through to one final, that of the Copa del Rey, and Busquets welcomed the staging of the game at Valencia’s Mestalla.
“We’ve played a lot of finals there, it’s a good city and a good ground.”
Busquets’ attention is firmly on the League this weekend, however, as Barca travel to Anoeta to meet Real Sociedad.
“It’s a vital game, considering how things are in La Liga. We know that a draw or a defeat would be a big set-back.
“It’s a very difficult ground. We saw that in the Copa del Rey. It’ll be a difficult match and they have a great side.”
Busquets concluded by commending the recent performances of Lionel Messi and predicted a future even brighter than the present for his Argentine teammate.
“For us, Messi is the best. Even if he doesn’t score goals, he gives us a lot.
“When he returned from injury, we knew it would be difficult for him. He’s getting better and better.
“He’ll be the best player in the world as long as he wants. I hope he’s in peak form at the end of the season.”
