Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann says he wants to improve on his current red-hot goal scoring form, as less in-form Colchoneros attacker Fernando Torres says he accepts his current role as back-up for the bigger games.
Griezmann's superbly taken double strike in Saturday's 2-1 La Liga win at Deportivo La Coruna took him to 20 La Liga goals this season [in 23 starts], while the €30 million summer 2014 signing from Real Sociedad has now scored six goals in his last four domestic outings.
Asked ahead of Atletico's Champions League quarterfinal second leg at Real Madrid if he was now in best moment of season, the France international told EFE news agency that he felt he had been performing very well all season.
"No -- I believe it is all year," Griezmann said. "When I arrived, it took me a while because it was all new for me. That is normal. And I started to get playing time, improving my level and the truth is I am having a good year. I hope to continue like this."
Griezmann said he was thriving under Atletico coach Diego Simeone's demands that he contribute in all facets of play and felt he still had plenty of room for improvement.
"[Simeone asks me] to press, to be with the defence, then to be in attack and to have the ball, to pick up the rhythm of the game... and to score goals," he said. "I feel a more complete player, feeling better all the time. I am very confident and hope to learn more still. I am just 24, and for sure I will learn more. And I hope that as I learn more, I will play better."
Griezmann's red-hot form comes as Atletico's other forwards -- Mario Mandzukic, Fernando Torres and Raul Jimenez -- have scored just once between them over the last two months.
Soon after his emotional return to the Estadio Vicente Calderon in January, Torres scored memorable goals against Real Madrid and Barcelona in the Copa del Rey, but he has struggled to find the net since. The 31-year-old said in AS that he accepted not being first-choice, but had to be ready to make an impact when called upon.
"We are all performing for the team, and this competition for places makes us better. It makes you not relax, and for the level of the team to be very high. You always have to be ready for when your moment comes. We have seen that playing just one minute could end up more important than 90. You never know."
Torres predicted that after last week's goalless UCL first leg at the Calderon that Madrid would come out and attack in the return, leaving spaces for Atletico to hurt them on the break.
"The 0-0 result from the first leg is not good or bad for either team," he said. "I hope the game goes as we want. Madrid will attack, but without going crazy because with the 0-0 they must not concede. But I believe they will go and attack and we must be ready to attack and defend. I am happy when we have a good defensive structure, and then I have spaces to break into."