Former Real Madrid sporting director Pedja Mijatovic admits defeat at Atletico Madrid came as no surprise.

Mijatovic feels Real will continue to struggle after failing to replace Karim Benzema following his move to Al-Ittihad.

He told Cadena SER: "There is no player in the squad who can come close to Benzema's numbers.

"When you don't get these numbers, you have problems. In important games, like today, we have suffered. It may be a year of transition. In January you can't sign a great player, but I think that in the summer Real Madrid will make a great project with the new stadium.

"We have to endure this season; I am not as optimistic as in previous years."