Pep Guardiola was satisfied with Barcelona's rampant 4-1 away win over Racing Santander.

The defending champions barely moved into top gear against a lackluster Santander side who could not cope with the visitors' passing game.

Speaking to AS after the game, Guardiola said: "I am satisfied with the first and second half. We were serious throughout. We didn't want to go crazy making unnecessary efforts, we passed the ball well and that made us stronger. We controlled the game,"

Guardiola went on to praise his star striker, Lionel Messi, who scored a brace to seal the deal for Barca.

He said: "Every day he gets better. All you can do is watch him play. He continues to do everything to the maximum, beyond what is necessary."