Marca’s David G. Medina began his commentary bleakly: “It looked bleak in Eindhoven. Really bleak. They were 1-0 down at the start and every PSV counterattack seemed like a dagger. The red and white team was falling apart like a sugar cube.”
However, Atlético was finally redeemed by a man from whom it was not expected. “He became a hero. He is a hero in defense and wanted to be one in attack as well,” Marca continued. A Dávid Hancko he really was – he became the hero of Atlético Madrid again.
“He has the soul of a striker. He used the rebound to give Atlético the lead. He remained focused on defense throughout the second half. He returned to the Netherlands and gave a very solid performance,” assessed Marca.
Atlético Madrid players won in the sixth round of the main phase of the Champions League at PSV Eindhoven 3:2.
“When we started winning fights, we eased the pressure a bit and then we were able to score goals and turn the game in our favor,” Hancko described.
Excellent numbers
The Slovak also pleased the fans of his former club with his performance. Feyenoord Rotterdam and PSV Eindhoven are big rivals, so his goal in Eindhoven had extra symbolism.
It was his first ever goal in Atlético Madrid and his third in the main stage of the Champions League – the previous two he scored as a Feyenoord player.
“It was a really important goal because I already had a few chances and I couldn’t score. But of course, it’s not that easy (to score in the Champions League), so I’m very happy that I did it,” he told uefa.com.
Hancko scored from a position in which a defender is not normally found. He lurked in front as a striker and delivered the ball, which the keeper cleared.
He also had excellent statistics: he won four out of five face-to-face battles, his pass success rate was up to 96 percent and he recorded 60 touches with the ball.
“The Slovak tried to fill all the gaps in Atlético’s defense. He suffered a nasty blow to the ankle, which worried Atlético. He is very brave in his pressing,” added Marca.
During his professional career (Žilina, Fiorentina, Sparta, Feyenoord, Atlético), twenty-seven-year-old Hancko already scored 49 goals, adding another seven in the national team jersey.
The busiest
Denník AS recalled that Hancko knew PSV well, it was the team he met the most during his career when he played for Feyenoord.
“He was happy to join the attack in order to create a numerical superiority in the opponent’s half and break his defensive lines,” AS added.
The Slovak played 140 matches at Feyenoord and played against PSV ten times – with a record of two wins, two draws and six losses.
“Without much luck. But he lifted the Super Cup over his head on their field. And today he also knocked it down with a goal,” AS newspaper recalled.
At Atlético, Hancko is one of the busiest players, with 20 matches to his credit. He is third in the number of minutes played (1,622), ahead of only Barrios and Julián Álvarez.
The best defender
He is also Diego Simeone’s most frequently deployed defender. He won his place immediately upon arrival, without the need for adaptation.
“He is a left-footed centre-back in his natural position and the best left-back in the team ahead of Ruggeri and Javi Galán, who are both natural left-backs,” claimed AS’s Sergio Picos.
In Feyenoord, Hancko played almost exclusively as a stopper, in the national team he alternates on the edge of the defense for a long time, but in Atlético, Simeone assigned him a dynamic role according to the current needs of the team. It combines its versatility to the fullest.
“With Hancko, Atlético have acquired a central defender who is happy to be involved in surprise attacks, or a full-back who can close down space and create a three-man defensive line,” added Picos.
