Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker has taken a swipe at Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Mertesacker insisted the Portuguese idol has never troubled Germany.

He said: "We've managed to nip in the bud any of Ronaldo's efforts in past matches against Portugal and must try to avoid at all costs one-on-one situations. He's as fast as lightning and a master of football trickery but we will be practising how to stop him."