Messi: Barcelona cannot afford to relax

Lionel Messi has stressed that Barcelona cannot afford to lose focus in La Liga if they are to regain the domestic title.

The Blaugrana currently hold an 11-point lead over Atletico Madrid in the league table, but Messi has warned that the title race is not over just yet.

"We’re very aware that there’s a long way to go yet. Our La Liga hopes are in our hands thanks to the lead we’ve got and the way we’ve gone about things, but we can’t afford to relax," Messi told Fifa.com.

"We know how good Atletico Madrid are, as we’ve played them already and they’re a great side.

"We’re not taking our foot off the gas, though we’re confident we won’t have problems staying on the same track."

The Argentina international then went on to discuss the differences between boss Tito Vilanova and former coach Pep Guardiola, and insisted that much has stayed the same.

"The way we work and prepare for games is the same, but what’s changed is that Guardiola and Tito have different personalities and different ways of handling the squad.

"They’ve each got their own ideas and own style, but when it comes to playing and training we’re doing the same things we’ve been doing these past four years."

Barcelona are currently preparing for Saturday's La Liga match against Real Sociedad.