Barcelona needed to make a statement this season after losing out to Real Madrid in La Liga and the Champions League last campaign - and they've done exactly that.

With nine games remaining of 2017/18, the Blaugrana are 11 points clear at the top of La Liga, unbeaten and 15 points ahead of their rivals.

Ernesto Valverde's side are also through to the Champions League quarter-finals after cruising past Chelsea and face Sevilla in the Copa del Rey final next month.

Real, meanwhile, have struggled in La Liga, losing five of their 29 games thus far and putting up a poor defence of their title.

A third-successive Champions League triumph could yet be on the horizon, but nothing is guaranteed at this early stage.

Bragging rights belong to Barca at the moment, then, and according to Gerard Pique, he hasn't let Real's Spanish players forget who's top of the table.

In an interview with The Players' Tribune, the Spaniard revealed "inside information" about the WhatsApp group he has with the likes of Sergio Ramos, Isco and Dani Carvajal.

PIQUE: WE TALK S*** TO ONE ANOTHER

And the contents of the conversation is as you would expect: Pique taking the p*** out of his international teammates about how dominant Barcelona have been this season.

"I'm going to let you in on a little inside information," said Pique. "Everybody knows that footballers have text groups on WhatsApp.

"I have one just for my friends from home, and I have another just for my Barca teammates. But my favourite one might surprise you.

"Earlier this season, when we were already eight or nine points clear of Real Madrid in the league, I started a special group for some of the guys on the Spanish national team who play for Real Madrid and Barcelona.

"All we do in that group is talk s*** to one another about Barca and Real. It's the best. We're just like little kids.

"And the truth is, it's especially hilarious for me right now, because now we're up 15 points on Real in the league. So I'm getting very creative in my responses.

"Last season, when the Real guys were winning everything, they were feeling pretty good. They were talking s*** constantly whenever I saw them at national team training.

"Man, every time they won a match last season, they were posting shirtless photos on Instagram from the locker room. Remember that?

"They were smiling and flexing their muscles like The Rock and saying #HalaMadrid and posting little trophy emojis.

"This season, though, it's a different vibe. All their Instagram photos are looking very somber. 'Three points today. We must keep working harder!'

"So I'm texting them in the WhatsApp group, 'Come on guys, why so serious?!' Then I put a little crying emoji, and a laughing emoji."

To read Spain and Barcelona defender Gerard Pique's inaugural post on The Players' Tribune, 'A Long Story', in full, please click here.