Real Madrid captain, Sergio Ramos, has confessed he holds Barcelona counterpart Lionel Messi in high esteem, despite the rivalry between both clubs.
Both players come face to face on Sunday in El Clasico.
“I have huge respect for him. I think he’s one of the greatest players in history and I have huge respect for him. I hope Sunday isn’t his day, that would mean we’ve done our job, and if on top of that we can get a good result even better.
“I wish him all the best as a fellow professional but only as long as it doesn’t affect us negatively! It’s hard, but he has my maximum respect, I think he’s one of the best,” Ramos told LaLiga.
Madrid go into the clash two points behind Barca in second place.
Zinedine Zidane’s men will be looking to leapfrog the Catalans with a win, following a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League earlier this week.
