Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola has said that Club World Cup final opponents Santos can be as dangerous as Real Madrid ahead of their showdown in Yokohama.

The Champions League winners, who were favourites entering the tournament earlier this month, will not rest on their laurels against the Brazilian outfit, according to Guardiola, who describes the South American champions as "a great team".

"On the counter-attack Santos are like Madrid," he said. "Santos are a great team. They're a very dangerous team. They win every 50-50 ball.

"This final is especially exciting because you never know when we'll be able to play it again.

"We want to wear the badge that identifies the champions of the world for a whole season."

Barcelona, who lead the Spanish league on head-to-heads, are level on points with rivals Madrid.