Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has praised David Villa following the forward's brace in Saturday's 2-0 win over Celta Vigo.

The Spanish international's two second-half goals ensured that the capital outfit moved to the top of the La Liga table due to their superior head-to-head record over Real Madrid.

"Villa lives on goals. He is a specialist in them. The more chances he has to score, the better for all of us," Simeone told reporters at a press conference.

"His accuracy and strength have been features throughout his career. He has put in a great effort for the team and he's a very important player for us.

"We need him. We need his goals, his experience. Villa is one of the few players we have that is used to to fighting every Sunday for top spot. He is very forceful in the penalty area."

Villa has scored 13 league goals for Atletico this season.