Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone has dismissed early talk of reaching the UEFA Champions League final in his club’s home stadium, insisting his squad remains entirely focused on their upcoming group-stage fixtures.
Chasing Game by Game Ahead of European Return
Yet neither Simeone nor defender David Hancko are willing to look that far ahead in the tournament’s opening phase. “I understand the stance of emphasizing that it’s played here, but the reality is match by match, let’s not feed situations that are far away, but match by match, that’s where we are strong,” Simeone stated.
Hancko echoed his manager’s cautious approach as the club prepares for the second matchday of Europe’s premier club competition. “Last season we were close, but it is still a long way off,” Hancko said. “We have to go step by step and keep adding points in the group stage. It would be incredible to reach that final, but there is still a long way to go.”
Tackling Manchester United After an Early Season Slip
The immediate challenge arrives in the continental group stage against Manchester United, a side Atlético already faced and lost to earlier this term by a 2-1 scoreline despite holding a halftime lead. Both manager and player shrugged off the significance of that friendly or early encounter, noting that squads have evolved since then. “They are not the same players,” both maintained regarding the narrow defeat.
Simeone emphasized that analyzing United’s opening matches of the current domestic season holds far more value than reviewing those previous 90 minutes. While acknowledging tactical similarities, the Argentine manager highlighted the necessity of neutralizing opponent speed and breaking the initial high press deployed by Carrick’s side. For the fixture, Simeone welcomes back several key contributors, with Pablo Barrios and Alexander Sørloth returning from the medical room, alongside Julián Álvarez.
Defensive Depth and New Faces in Madrid
Addressing defensive solidity—an area acknowledged as slightly more vulnerable compared to past iterations of Simeone’s Atlético—Hancko praised recent acquisitions Alejandro Grimaldo and Cristian Romero for injecting crucial goals and defensive leadership. “The team is even better than last year, with more depth also thanks to the arrivals of Grimaldo and Cuti,” Hancko noted. “Alejandro is a very offensive lateral who is also scoring goals and Cuti brings a lot of experience. It is very good to be able to play with him, he has a lot of calm with the ball, he is strong in duels and we complement each other well.”
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