Barcelona defender Jordi Alba has revealed that he 'always looks to see where Lionel Messi is' when he picks up the ball in an attacking area of the field.

Alba has registered six assists in La Liga this season, and five of those have come for Messi - the last of which occurred in Barcelona's 2-0 win at Villarreal on Sunday night.

Left-back Alba has claimed that his relationship with Messi on the field means that he is always looking to set up "the best player in the history of football".

"Whenever I have the ball, I always look to see where Messi is," Marca quotes Alba as saying. "He scores so many times, he is a very important player in our team and he is the best player in the history of football."

Barcelona's win at Villarreal ensured that they would re-open a five-point lead at the top of La Liga.