Barcelona boss Luis Enrique has insisted that his team will have to be at their best to win a third straight La Liga title this season.
The Catalan outfit, who open at home to Real Betis this weekend, have finished top of La Liga in six of the last eight seasons and are seeking a third straight title for just the third time in their history.
Enrique has said that his side will start as the favourites due to their success last season, but is expecting a tough challenge from usual suspects Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid once again.
"I always say that any team who is defending the title is the favourite out of respect for what they achieved during the previous season. But we all start with the same number of points, which is zero," Enrique told reporters.
"There are always bigger teams who have a better chance to win titles but there can always be a surprise. Yes, we want to win it for a third time in a row. It has not happened much in Barca history. We are motivated. It won't be easy – there are some big clubs who have not won the league for some time and will want to push us."
Barcelona claimed the Spanish Super Cup with a 5-0 aggregate victory over Sevilla on Wednesday night.
Matt Law
