Barcelona fullback Jordi Alba admits victory over Elche was needed.

Barca won 3-0 on Wednesday night, with Lionel Messi scoring twice. Barça made it 13 games unbeaten in La Liga and bounced back from the disappointment of drawing with Cadiz at the weekend.

"It helps lift the mood," Alba said. "The draw the other day was a big blow for the whole team.

"If we're not at 100 percent, we struggle to win. The other day we struggled and in the first half today, too. I think we were better in the second half and the goals arrived in the end.

"The first goal gave us a safety net and that generated more space. We didn't have loads of clear chances today but the ones we did have we took. Leo's two goals gave us peace of mind. Happy with the game, it was difficult; now we have to keep improving and winning matches."