Barcelona boss Xavi has said that the Catalan giants "need to become a family" if they are to be successful this term, with the head coach hailing the strength of his squad.

Blaugrana moved to the top of La Liga courtesy of a 3-0 win over Elche on Saturday afternoon, with Robert Lewandowski scoring a brace and Memphis Depay also on the scoresheet.

Memphis, Franck Kessie, Frenkie de Jong and Alejandro Balde were among those to come into the side, as Xavi shuffled his pack following the Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich.

Xavi has said that the strength of Barcelona's squad will stand them in good stead this season, with the club looking to challenge for major trophies.

"We have a very big squad now. Everyone is training well, responding well. Remember that this season is strange, and we need everyone to be in their top game. We need to become a family," Xavi told reporters.

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"You win titles with a big squad, not with a set starting XI. We have 25 players, and all of them could start for every match. Then it's my turn to take the decisions.

"I'm happy to have won. It was very important. After their red card, the match completely changed. We always have room to improve. Before the red card, the match was more positional. After that, we enjoyed it. It felt quite easy, especially in the second half.

"We've had a good start to the season. I'm very grateful. Everyone is ready to play at any time, and you can see that. Everyone can make a difference. Sixteen out of 18 points is a good start. I am satisfied."

Xavi was also keen to pay tribute to Balde, who provided two assists from left-back, with the 18-year-old becoming a starter in La Liga this term.

"It never ceases to amaze me that a kid of Balde's age is playing as well as he is. He will give us a lot," he added. "Balde is a great left back. We have three great left-backs. Jordi [Alba], Marcos [Alonso] and Balde. He created several chances today. I'm very happy for him, he's very mature."

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The Barcelona head coach also lavished praise on Pedri, with the 19-year-old playing the full 90 minutes of Saturday's victory over Elche.

"Pedri is a superlative player. He understands the game, and he can make the difference with his assists," the 42-year-old added.

"Pedri has to become decisive for our future. At 19 years old, he is comparable to the best footballers that have ever played here. We need to take care of him."

Xavi also looked ahead to a busy October, with the Catalan outfit set to play nine times next month, with the fixtures being packed in due to the season breaking in November for the World Cup.

"October will be very complicated. We have a very busy calendar. These two weeks without football will help me rest," the head coach added.

Barcelona will be back in La Liga action against Mallorca at the start of October before travelling to San Siro to face Inter Milan in the Champions League three days later.