Atlético Madrid defender David Hancko attended a Champions League pre-match press conference alongside head coach Diego Simeone. The Rojiblancos will host Manchester United, and the Slovak defender emphasized the difficulty of the upcoming match.

What has the team discussed since learning the Champions League final will be held at the Metropolitano?

Last season we came very close to reaching the final, so it would be great if we could achieve it this season. But it's still far away—we need to stay calm. It's very difficult to reach a final, and we must continue to earn points in the league phase. Thinking like this will give us confidence, and if we can play in the final at home, it will be an incredible experience, but that's still a long way off.

Is it necessary to manage the pressure?

It's great to be able to win after the international break and to continue our excellent form. Pablo Barrios and Sørloth have recovered, so we have a complete squad. The first four Champions League matches are very important, and home matches are crucial. We hope to win this match.

Is the pre-season match against Manchester United useful as a reference?

I know we lost that match, which of course wasn't an ideal result, but many of our players were absent, and all the international players who participated in the World Cup didn't play. Tomorrow will be very different—we're in good form, and the lessons learned from that pre-season match will play an important role, especially in the first half. We fully understand their style and strength, and the key tomorrow is that we need to play better than them. We know how strong they are in duels and their running ability. Their attack is very powerful, and we need to create chances to threaten them.

The arrivals of Grimaldo and Cristian Romero strengthen the defense.

The team is even stronger than last season, which is evident from the squad depth. The arrivals of Cuti (Cristian Romero) and Grimaldo have strengthened our defense. With Alejandro (Grimaldo), we now have a fullback with strong attacking ability who constantly helps the attack and improves the team's performance. Their contribution is also reflected in goals, as both of our goals in the last match were scored by defenders.

It's very enjoyable playing with Cuti, who has rich experience playing abroad. He's very calm on the ball, strong in duels, and we know he likes long passes. I prefer to make runs and find spaces, so we complement each other very well.

Do you still consider Manchester United a European giant?

They sometimes play in the Champions League, sometimes they don't, but last season they finished third in the Premier League, which is the best league in the world, and they have strong financial backing, so these clubs can recruit very good players. Manchester United performed well last season, and although they started slowly this season, they have exceptional players. We regard them as giants, a very strong team, but we don't know who the favorites are for this match. We only care about playing as well as possible tomorrow and treating it like a knockout match. Playing against Manchester United is never easy, but we hope to get a good result.

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