Dynamo midfielder Justin Lonwijk shared his thoughts with Football Hub after the first leg of the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round against PAOK.
– You scored your first goal since returning to Dynamo. How would you comment on it?
– Of course, it feels great to score, especially such an important goal in the context of the game. We wanted to come back, score another goal and at least earn a draw. Unfortunately, we couldn't do it.
– You converted the decisive penalty in the shootout against Universitatea. Today, after coming on as a substitute, you scored. What do you feel in moments like these?
– I want to help the team. I’m back and ready for the head coach to use me. I’m doing everything I can to achieve our goals.
– What were you thinking before coming onto the pitch? What instructions did you receive from the coaching staff?
– We were trailing 1–3. The coaching staff explained the position I would play in. They know what I’m capable of. I like to create danger in attack, so I came on and showed that.
– When the score was 2:3, Ponomarenko had two good chances to score, but the ball just wouldn’t go in. Was it simply bad luck?
– The whole team was pushing to score a third goal. It’s good that we created those chances, but it’s disappointing that we couldn’t convert them.
– How would you assess your chances ahead of the second leg?
– This was only the first half of the tie. The second one is still to come in Greece. Today we showed that we are a quality team. In the return leg, we need to play even better and fight for the result.
