Lionel Messi believes Barcelona's victory in El Clasico has underlined their supremacy in Spain.
Pep Guardiola's side took a giant step towards defending their Primera Liga crown on Saturday as they saw off arch-rivals Real Madrid 2-0.
Victory at Santiago Bernabeu has allowed Barca to pull three points clear at the top of the table with seven games of the season remaining.
They are now red hot favourites to take the crown and Argentine superstar Messi believes the Catalan giants have every right to believe they are the best in the business.
"We have demonstrated on the field that we are better than Real Madrid," he said.
Dual"This was not a duel between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo but a battle between Real and Barca, and Barca have proved to be the winners in every aspect.
"We have not taken the title yet but the path is clear and we have a great chance to repeat our success of last season.
"This week has been a fantastic week (with a semi-final place in the UEFA Champions League also secured) but we have to force home our advantage.
"The greatest strength of this Barcelona side is that we fight for each other, even when we suffer injuries and suspensions. That is how we have built our success."
a.top_betting_link_1 {background-image: url('/Images/Skysports/Icons/skybet_logo.png');background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:0% 50%;padding-left:68px;}World Cup - Top Goalscorer: Messi, L. 11/1Higuain relishing Barca clash