Netherlands Arjen Robben (right) reacts during the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying round match against Iceland at the Arena Stadium in Amsterdam.

AFP/Amsterdam


Netherlands clash with Turkey tomorrow in a make-or-break Euro 2016 qualifying match with both teams hoping to salvage their hopes of making the finals after woefully lacklustre campaigns.
The Dutch lost 1-0 at home to Iceland and Turkey drew 1-1 with Latvia on Thursday to see their chances of qualifying directly for the European Championships from Group A all but vanish. They are now in a straight fight for third place and a play-off chance.
New Dutch coach Danny Blind endured a torrid first game after replacing Guus Hiddink, with the Oranje going down to Gyfli Sigurdsson’s 51st minute penalty in Amsterdam.
Iceland can now win the group if they beat Kazakhstan on Sunday. Blind still has a mountain to climb.
The Netherlands are in third place, eight points behind leaders Iceland and Czech Republic in second, with Turkey in fourth one point further back.
“The first two places are gone,” Blind told Dutch media after the game, admitting that Iceland and the Czechs would now go through
“We must now be sure that we get through via the play-offs,” he added.
Turkey fared little better, losing a 1-0 lead against Latvia to an injury time goal. The draw left coach Fatih Terim boiling with frustration.
Including Sunday’s clash in Turkey’s central city of Konya, the two sides now just have three matches to seal their fate.
Failure to make Euro 2016 would be a huge blow for the Netherlands, who won the competition in 1988 and finished third in the 2014 World Cup.
Their chances suffered a new blow when striker Arjen Robben limped off with a groin problem against Iceland and is a major doubt to play against Turkey.
Meanwhile Bruno Martins Indi was sent off for a horrendous challenge in the 33rd minute. Blind has called up new Southampton signing Virgil van Dijk as a likely replacement in the Dutch defence.
Particular pressure in Sunday’s game will be on the Netherlands’ Robin Van Persie and Wesley Sneijder who play for Fenerbahce and Galatasaray respectively in the Turkish Super Lig.
“If we don’t win our last three games then we are not going to be in France,” said Sneijder bluntly.
A hostile atmosphere can await the visitors in Konya, a conservative city and one of the biggest strongholds of Turkey’s Islamic-rooted ruling party.
Turkey will need its stars to be performing at their best to overcome the Dutch—above all its key midfielder Arda Turan.
Turan should be fresh as he sits out the start of the season after joining Barcelona this summer, due to the club’s previous violation of UEFA transfer rules.
“We did our best but it did not happen,” an unhappy Turan said after the Latvia game.
“We have one more chance on Sunday. We are not without hope but very sad,” he said. “We will work not to lose our hope. I hope we’ll do what’s needed on Sunday.”