Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke believes his team cannot afford to lose a 'dangerous derbi' and fall nine points behind league leaders Real Madrid.
Los Rojiblancos have lost two of their last three league games and will face Zinedine Zidane's unbeaten side on Saturday evening in a crunch encounter at Vicente Calderon.
"It is a dangerous derbi," Koke told Marca.
"We cannot let the gap get bigger. We need to draw at least so that they do not go further ahead. In our head we are thinking about winning the game, as always."
Koke said the 2016-17 season has so far been "a bit crazy" with lots of movement as the top teams have all dropped points.
"We were leaders, we lost (against Sevilla) and we dropped to fifth place.
"It is a bit crazy. In the first international break there was talk of relegation (from Antoine Griezmann), in the second we were top, and now there are these doubts floating around."
The 24-year-old also explained how recent Champions League heartache against Los Blancos will make Atleti stronger, and calls on his teammates to improve their defending after recently shipping four goals in two matches.
"These things stay with you your whole life," Koke continued.
"But they will make us stronger. Every Atletico fan wants to win a Champions League, this group deserves it for all it has battled. It is not that we are owed a Champions League, but we deserve it."
"We have more options, more possession. Defending is not just about me, it is the whole team. We have conceded at set pieces, against Malaga and Real Sociedad. I don't believe the team is defending badly, you saw that against Bayern. We must apply ourselves to all attack, and all defend together."
