Atletico Madrid forward Fernando Torres has insisted that Real Madrid boss Rafael Benitez is "not a defensive coach".

Benitez has been forced to deny that he is overly concerned with the defensive side of the game after Real Madrid threw away a 1-0 lead against Atletico Madrid at the weekend.

Torres, meanwhile, who played under Benitez at both Liverpool and Chelsea, has also claimed that such criticism is unfair.

"I know him quite well. We were together almost four years on two different teams. He's not a defensive coach. If they let him work they'll see very good results," AS quotes Torres as saying.

Real Madrid have only conceded twice in the league this season, while they have found the back of the net on 15 occasions.