Preview : Deportivo La Coruña v Barcelona

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has urged his table-topping side to keep improving ahead of Saturday night's trip to Deportivo La Coruna in the Primera Division.

Barca were not entirely convincing in last Sunday's home win over Real Madrid in `El Clasico' and needed two moments of brilliance from Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to brush aside bottom club Xerez on Wednesday.

Barca now travel to in-form Deportivo and Guardiola expects another difficult match.

"Barca have only won in Coruna three times in the last 17 years,'' he said.

"It's very important that we win - they are a great team and it's a difficult ground to go to, so a win would give us a big boost.''

Last season's treble winners have drawn three of their last four league matches on the road and were far from their brilliant best as they laboured to a 2-0 win at Xerez in midweek.

And Guardiola wants to see an improvement.

"There will not be a repeat of a game like the one in Jerez,'' he said.

"We are not happy just to win, because we always have to try to do better - that is how we have won people's respect and we have to keep on winning their respect.''

Barcelona's match against Xerez was put forward due to the Catalans' participation in the forthcoming World Club Championship, which starts next week.

Guardiola's side now lead La Liga by five points from bitter rivals Madrid, but have played one more game than Manuel Pellegrini's side.

Madrid are in action at home to Almeria directly before Barca take to the field at Riazor, and the Catalans will be keen to travel to Dubai later this month with their current advantage intact.

Guardiola welcomes back centre-back Gerard Pique, who missed the trip to Jerez through injury, while Sergio Busquets is available again after suspension.

Rafael Marquez is short of fitness, though, and has been left out for the trip to Galicia.

"He is short of physical toning, but he will soon be an essential player for us again,'' Guardiola said.

Barcelona have lost just once in 23 competitive matches so far this season and the Catalans are yet to taste defeat in the Primera Division.

Deportivo, meanwhile, have been a revelation so far this term.

The Galicians have won eight of their 12 league matches so far and currently sit in fifth position, level on points with fourth-placed Valencia.

Miguel Angel Lotina's side have won their last three league matches and midfielder Sergio Gonzalez believes they can halt Barcelona.

"To stop Barcelona, you need to stop the supply line to their strikers from midfield, and to do that takes four, five or even six players, but it can be done,'' he said.

But the Catalan midfielder insists defence is not the entire solution.

"You can't just defend because in the end, Barcelona will score one of the chances they create - you need balance, plus a lot of support, and you can't play too far forward or too far back,'' he said.

Juca and Rodolfo Bodipo are back for tomorrow night's clash, but Riki is suspended and Lassad Nouioui misses out through injury.