Zulte Waregem downbeat, Wigan delighted

SV Zulte Waregem and Wigan Athletic FC may have shared the points in their opening Group D match at the Jan Breydelstadion, but their emotions could not have been more different after the match. Aggrieved Zulte Waregem captain Davy de Fauw said his team "deserved three points", sentiments echoed by team-mate Habib Habibou. Wigan, meanwhile, were happy to leave Belgium with a "brilliant point" and a clean sheet: "It's a great platform," said Ben Watson, whose headed winner in last season's FA Cup Final earned Wigan this maiden European campaign.

Davy de Fauw, Zulte Waregem captain
We deserved three points. What we wanted to do in the second half was to put them under high pressure. We know we can play very well, and we want to try to do it in Europe as well, and I think that in the second half everyone could see that. This competition is something new – it's the same for Wigan I think – and a nice experience for us and the supporters. Games like this give us a boost, extra energy and adrenalin for the [domestic Belgian] League.

Habib Habibou, Zulte Waregem forward
A point is good, but we really deserved to win the game. At half-time the coach told us to move around more, and it worked because they finished the game with six or seven in defence. Playing in the Europa League is a sign that we are moving forward and progressing. Now we need to take it even further.

Ben Watson, Wigan midfielder
We knew it would be a tough game, but we have done ourselves justice. It was a good performance and a brilliant point. Our fans were brilliant, too, it was like a home game the way they came out in their numbers. A point and a clean sheet were important. It's a great platform to build on. At the end, the lads were throwing themselves in front of everything and blocking everything and Scott [Carson] was there again making saves.

Ryan Shotton, Wigan defender
It's a great first point for us, we knew it would be tough and we'd have to battle away. You can see on our faces and the fans' faces that we really earned that today. We looked to play on the counterattack; they come at you and that leaves them exposed and creates spaces. We wanted to nick a goal, and that didn't happen, but we're not disappointed about that. We're all in it together: we are going to experience it together, whether you're on the pitch, on the sidelines or in the stands.