Alvaro Morata: Real Madrid must start matches better to reverse slump

Striker Alvaro Morata says Real Madrid will return to winning ways if they start matches with the same level of intensity with which they finish them.

The defending European champions have not won a match since they beat Espanyol 2-0 on 18 September and have played out successive draws against Villarreal, Las Palmas, Borussia Dortmund and Eibar.

The winless run has seen Zinedine Zidane's side relinquish their lead at the top of the La Liga table to city rivals Atletico Madrid on goal difference.

Morata admitted that Real's recent performances had not been good enough and said players had to work harder to correct the situation.

"It's clear that something is going on," the Spain international was quoted as saying by ESPN.

"We must be more of a team than ever, and all row in the same direction.

"If you look at Madrid individually, there are very good players, but when we all played together, helping each other out, they said we had the best squad in history.

"For me, and my teammates know it, there is no lack of intensity. Sometimes the ball just won't go in, and then we let in a goal ourselves," Morata added.

"But you can see when we need to score, we are pushing the other team right back, like you saw in the last 15 minutes the other day against Eibar, when we could have scored two or three goals.

"The only difference is that we have to start games better than the other team."

Meanwhile, former Real boss Fabio Capello blamed the Spanish club's woes on Cristiano Ronaldo's lack of match fitness.

The Portugal captain only recently returned to action after suffering a knee injury in the final of the Euro 2016 summer tournament in France.

"The problem for Real Madrid now is Cristiano Ronaldo. Because he is not well physically and is their best player," the former England manager was reported as saying by Sky Sports.