Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has indicated his side needs to improve in order to retain its La Liga title. The Camp Nou outfit is currently six points adrift of leaders Real Madrid following Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Getafe. Guardiola admitted his side are currently not at the same level as its capital archrival but noted it will strive to see off Jose Mourinho's men in the upcoming Clasico on December 10. "You cannot always be at the top, but the truth is that this is the first time we are below another side," he told reporters at a press conference. "This can happen, also because we are competing against Madrid. We know we have a very strong rival above us and we are ready to try [to beat them]." "We will have to improve, or we will not reach them. We are at a good level, but it is not enough to be first in the table," he continued. "We will try hard until the last day of the season. I do not know if it will be enough to be champions, but we will try." The 40-year-old went on to reject the suggestion of a crisis at the club and stressed he cannot explain the team's subpar displays on the road this season. "I do not think that this is the team's most delicate moment since I arrived," he noted. "There is not just one factor, because every [away] match is different. We did not play poorly in any match, we always had more chances than our opponent." Barca will host Rayo Vallecano on Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET.