World Cup qualifiers: Netherlands suffer 2-4 loss to Turkey

Netherlands suffer shock 2-4 loss after Yilmaz scores hat-trick for hosts; boss De Boer rues team’s lack of intensity

The Netherlands slumped to a disappointing 2-4 loss to Turkey in Istanbul in their dramatic opening 2022 World Cup qualifier as Burak Yilmaz scored a hat-trick on Wednesday. 

Turkey led 3-0 shortly after half-time through two Yilmaz goals and a Hakan Calhanoglu strike, but substitutes Davy Klaassen and Luuk de Jong gave Frank de Boer’s Dutchmen hope. Yilmaz’s wonderful free-kick sealed Turkey a crucial win, though, in a match between the two favourites to qualify from Group G.

‘Very disappointing result’
“Very disappointing result, and also the way that result came about,” De Boer said. “We knew that they would try to hit us on the counter-attack, and yet the first goal was a classic example of that. Our tempo should have been higher, especially before the break.”

The defeat is a dreadful start to the campaign for the Netherlands, who failed to qualify for either Euro 2016 or the 2018 World Cup, but are one of the favourites ahead of the delayed Euro 2020 finals this year. It was Turkey’s second straight win over the Netherlands, after a 3-0 win in 2015 which helped them qualify for the Euros ahead of the Oranje.

Belgium avenge loss
Meanwhile, Belgium exacted revenge on Wales for a shock exit at the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 by coming from behind to get their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign off to a winning start with a 3-1 victory on Wednesday. 

Kevin De Bruyne, Thorgan Hazard and Romelu Lukaku were on target for the World No. 1 ranked side in Leuven after Harry Wilson had put the visitors in front. Wales are again under the caretaker charge of Robert Page this month with manager Ryan Giggs on leave pending the investigation of an assault charge.

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