Simeone confirms Torres will face Barcelona

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has revealed Fernando Torres will play in the Champions League against Barcelona.

The experienced striker featured from the start in Atletico's 5-1 win over Real Betis on Saturday, scoring once to take his tally for this La Liga season to six, and was taken off at the hour-mark with an eye on the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at Camp Nou on Tuesday.

"Will Torres play against Barcelona? Yes, he will," Simeone told a news conference.

"I spoke with him before the match. He played 60 minutes against Betis to prepare for the match versus Barcelona."

Atletico recorded a comfortable win over Betis to prepare for the match against the Catalan giants and Simeone was delighted with his side's performance, while also underlining the importance of the league.

"The work put in by the players is what pleases me most," he said.

"I went for a 4-3-1-2 formation and the players did well, which is not easy. It is not an easy formation, but we did well.

"There is no doubt about it that La Liga is very important. The fans always get excited to see Atletico high up the table.

"The Copa del Rey and Champions League are different, because it's all about a few games. Consistency is key in La Liga. You have to be stable and solid to perform in the league."