Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola believes his side needs to keep improving despite their excellent form so far.

Barca thrashed Atletico Madrid 5-2 at the Nou Camp on Saturday night with another thrilling display of attacking football.

But Guardiola says his team were merely efficient in that match and sees room for improvement ahead of tomorrow night's trip to Racing Santander.

"We still can and must do a lot better," he said today.

"On Saturday I think we had seven or eight shots on goal and they had 5 or 6 dangerous opportunities; we were efficient, but we didn't have control."

Barcelona have won all of their three league matches so far this term and are behind leaders Real Madrid on goal difference alone ahead of Tuesday's game at Racing.

Guardiola believes the match at El Sardinero represents a big test for his side.

"It's a complicated ground for us and for many other teams against a side we have good results against, though they have always been close-fought," he said.

Barca were boosted by the contract renewal of Lionel Messi on Friday, when the Argentina winger signed a new deal to remain at the Nou Camp until 2016.

And Guardiola now hopes defenders Carles Puyol and Rafa Marquez will sign new deals.

"I hope they sign because they are two very important players for us," he said.

Club president Joan Laporta earlier revealed that offers to the two defenders had been made, while Barca are also in talks with Andres Iniesta over a contract renewal.

"The proposals to Marquez and Puyol have been made and we have also spoken to Andres' representative, but these things take time because there are two parties involved," he said.

And he added: "If it were down to us, it would already be sorted out."

Meanwhile, there is good news surrounding another of the club's defenders, Argentinian centre-back Gabi Milito.

The former Zaragoza defender has been out for almost a year and a half after picking up a serious knee injury in the Champions League semi-final against Manchester United in May 2008.

But Milito is finally back in training and Guardiola is thrilled by the return of a player he is yet to be able to field since taking over as coach from Frank Rijkaard last year.

"It's great news," he said.

Milito is not ready to return against Racing, though, and Bojan Krkic also misses out through injury.

Guardiola has an otherwise full-strength squad to choose from, though.

Racing were dreadful in their last home match, when they went down 4-1 to Getafe on the opening weekend of the season.

Since then, though, the Cantabrians have produced two excellent performances on the road to regain their credibility and move up to ninth place in the table.

Juan Carlos Mandia's side earned a valuable point at Atletico Madrid in the second round of matches and then secured a deserved victory away to Malaga at the weekend.

And the Racing coach believes his men have a chance of beating Barca.

"It's possible to beat them - the statistics show that they have lost some games and we have to cling on to that," he said.

But Mandia knows his side will not beat the Catalans by having more possession than the champions.

"It's obvious that in the last few years, no team has had more possession that Barcelona in a game.

"We need the fans to create a nice atmosphere so the players give everything and don't stop running," he said.

Crespo Rincon returns from suspension, while Xisco is fit again, despite playing with an injury against Malaga.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Tchite is on the comeback trail, but will not be ready to face the Catalans.