Ramos pays tribute to Bayern

Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has heaped praise on Champions League opponents Bayern Munich, describing the team as "world class"

The two sides will go head to head in the semi-final first leg at Bayern's Allianz Arena this evening, before meeting again for the return fixture at the Bernabeu a week later. The German side attracted praise last week from Argentinian legend Diego Maradona, who backed Bayern to knock Real out of the competition. And, while Ramos is confident of his own side's prospects, the Spanish international has echoed Maradona's sentiments just hours before the two teams square off. "We have a lot of respect for Bayern but our objective is to reach the final. It will be a difficult game tomorrow, but there are no easy games these days - especially not in a Champions League semi-final. We will have to be very focused. They have a lot of quality in their team with players like Robben and Gomez who can make the difference. "Bayern have been doing a great job with their youth academy for decades now," Ramos added. "They have a very strong influence not only on German football and the Bundesliga, but also on the German national team."