Alba: At Barca no one thinks they´re above anyone else

Jordi Alba does not believe anyone at Barcelona would criticise their team-mates in the same way Cristiano Ronaldo did at Real Madrid, describing Luis Enrique’s men as a “band of brothers”.

Portugal star Ronaldo drew headlines in the aftermath of Real’s 1-0 La Liga defeat to city rivals Atletico Madrid on Saturday when he said “if everyone was at my level, perhaps we would be first”.

Ronaldo later sought to clarify his comments by stating that his words were about Real’s injury woes and not the performances of his team-mates.

“I didn’t hear them [Ronaldo’s criticisms], 2 the Spain full-back said. “With regard to Barca I can say we’re like a band of brothers and no one thinks they’re above anyone else. 

“There are individuals that make a difference, but we’re a team.”

Real’s loss coupled with Barca’s 2-1 win at home to Sevilla on Sunday means the gap between the two great rivals in the table is now 12 points.

However, Alba insists leaders Barca are not discounting the chances of third-placed Real in the fight for the title as there are still 12 matches to play.

“The gap is significant but it has to stay like that,” he added. “I’m not counting Real Madrid out, they’re a big team. 

“We’re top and those behind us are going to make it difficult for us. We have a significant gap but they could give us a scare at any time.”