Former Chelsea striker Fernando Torres reckons that it will be very important for Atletico Madrid to win against archrivals Real Madrid at the Vicente Calderon in order to keep their title hopes alive.

Atletico will slip seven points behind Real if they lose during this weekend. It would put an end to their title defence with no realistic possibility of a comeback with Real Madrid and Barcelona dropping very few points over the course of the campaign. Since the Champions League final defeat against Madrid, Atletico have not been on the losing side against their more illustrious rivals.

Manager Diego Simeone will be looking to continue this good run of form. Torres recently scored in the Copa del Rey match against Real Madrid and it helped Atletico move into the next round. However, he is unlikely to start for this league match with Simeone likely to opt for regular first choice striker – Mario Mandzukic. Torres has been in fine form since returning to Atletico Madrid. He has already scored goals against Barcelona and Real Madrid, but more importantly, he has been contributing as an impact substitute more than ever.

Despite scoring in the Copa del Rey three times in just four matches, Torres is yet to find the back of the net in the league. “It would be very important to win. If not, there are a lot of games left, but… For us it not just about stopping Madrid picking up points, but also for the confidence it gives you. You beat Madrid again, at the Calderon, you are closer to them, and you go into games with another attitude and another dynamic. Football in the end is about being on these runs. We are on one now, despite the Copa del Rey elimination [against Barcelona], and we must keep it going,” said Torres.