Barcelona defender Jordi Alba has said that teammate Marc-Andre ter Stegen is the best goalkeeper in the world.

Ter Stegen has made close to 150 appearances for Barcelona since his arrival from Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2014.

The 26-year-old made a string of fine saves as Barcelona claimed a 2-1 win at Real Sociedad on Saturday afternoon, and Alba has paid tribute to the quality of the Germany international.

"For me, Ter Stegen is the best [goalkeeper] in the world and he saved us. Regardless of who played, because everyone here is important, the game changed," Alba told reporters.

Barcelona are the early leaders in La Liga, with 12 points from four matches leaving them top of the division.

Ernesto Valverde's side will open their 2018-19 Champions League challenge against PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday night.