Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone believes David Villa can be a crucial figure as his side fight for their first title since 1996.

Villa scored twice in as many minutes on Saturday in a win over Celta Vigo that temporarily put them top of the table.

Neighbours Real Madrid overtook them with a win over Levante last night – opening up a three-point lead – but Atleti now have a one point advantage over third-placed Barcelona.

Simeone feels Villa, who was deputising for Diego Costa, can be a key figure in the closing weeks of the season.

“Villa lives for goals,” he said. “He is a specialist in that and the more options he has to score, the better it is for everyone.

“His accuracy and strength he possesses have marked his career. He made a great effort for the team and he’s an incredibly important player for us. We need him. We need his goals, his experience and he is one of few players who are used to fighting Sunday to Sunday for the top spot. What he has is forcefulness in the penalty area.”

Meanwhile, Villa insists Atletico could only think about wins if they are to finish top of the pile.

“These three points put us back in the title fight,” he said. “All the points are important. Every game we have left is a final and we need to win everything.”