Real Madrid midfielder Mesut Ozil has played down the importance of Cristiano Ronaldo to the side, ahead of Wednesday’s Copa del Rey clash with rivals Barcelona.

The two clubs meet on Wednesday evening for the first leg of their semi-final and, while noting Ronaldo’s importance, the 24-year-old insisted a match of this magnitude cannot be determined by an individual.

“We are all aware of Cristiano’s class,” he told Bwin.

“He is one of the best players in the world and has always shown his importance to the team.

“But, we are a team, not just Cristiano or another player. We have to work as a team if we want to succeed.”

The former Werder Bremen starlet also spoke fondly of the Clasico fixture, and insisted los Blancos would be aiming to secure a first leg advantage at Santiago Bernabeu.

“We appreciate that Barcelona are a very strong team with great players, but we prefer to focus on ourselves.

“We are at home and our goal is to win the game.

“It is the biggest derby in the world and is always a special game to play in.”