Jonas De Roeck was allowed to leave Westerlo a year ago, but now he got his revenge by winning 1-2 with Antwerp at ‘t Kuipke.
“In the past we lost such a match”
Although the match had more to it than the score suggests. Four VAR phases, a missed penalty, the match between Westerlo and Antwerp had it all. And the three points were perhaps not entirely deserved for the Great Old, but even then the positive points were emphasized by trainer Jonas De Roeck.
“In the past we would not have won these matches and perhaps even lost them. You can see that this group has grown enormously in recent weeks and months. The game management has become stronger. At Alderweireld that is more natural, but the entire group has grown in that.”
Alderweireld
The name has been mentioned, Toby Alderweireld. The Antwerp captain single-handedly ensured that the three points went to Deurne-Noord with two headed goals. “He provides stability at the back and we know what his qualities are on the field. The set pieces made the difference today, but they are also part of football,” according to De Roeck.
Westerlo better team
Let’s go back to the match, in which Westerlo was the better team, especially in the second half. “In the first half we were more dominant on the ball and we should have scored the 0-2, but in the second half we didn’t play at our level,” the Antwerp coach is honest.
“Westerlo was more dangerous and we didn’t find the solutions in possession of the ball, even though they were there. Fortunately, we were accurate around our own 16 and we were able to keep it closed around our own 16, except for a few corners. We had to fight hard for these three points,” he concludes.
