Soccer

Dutch beaten as Turkey slip up in Iceland

Cyprus shock Bosnia and Herzegovina, as Wales rely on Gareth Bale to snatch win in Andorra

Gareth Bale celebrates scoring Wales’s first goal against Andorra. The Real madrid forward scored the winner in a nervy win over the minnows at the the Camp d’Esports del M.I. Consell General. Photograph: Adam Davy/PA Wire
Gareth Bale celebrates scoring Wales’s first goal against Andorra. The Real madrid forward scored the winner in a nervy win over the minnows at the the Camp d’Esports del M.I. Consell General. Photograph: Adam Davy/PA Wire
Tue Sept 09 2014 - 22:40

The Netherlands began their bid to qualify for Euro 2016 by slipping to a last-gasp 2-1 defeat away to Czech Republic on Tuesday night.

The World Cup semi-finalists, now with Guus Hiddink back in charge after Louis van Gaal's departure to Manchester United, fell behind in the 22nd minute, Borek Dockal blasting home a super effort off the inside of a post.

Stefan de Vrij levelled 10 minutes after the break, but the Dutch were undone at the death as Vaclav Pilar capitalised on some kamikaze defending to net from close range in injury-time.

Also in Group A, Iceland laid down an early marker with an emphatic 3-0 win at home to 10-man Turkey.

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Jon Dadi Bodvarsson put them ahead after 17 minutes and the visitors suffered another blow when they had Omer Toprak sent off in the 59th minute, having picked up two yellow cards in five minutes.

Gylfi Sigurdsson and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson scored two quickfire goals to round off the win.

Kazakhstan and Latvia drew 0-0.

Italy, like the Dutch with a new man — Antonio Conte — in charge following the World Cup, bounced back from their disappointing showing in Brazil with a 2-0 win in Norway in Group H.

A goal in each half from Simone Zaza and Leonardo Bonucci settled the match.

Croatia laboured to a 2-0 win over 10-man Malta thanks to strikes from Luka Modric and Andrej Kramaric after the visitors had had Steve Borg sent off just after the half-hour mark.

Bulgaria won 2-1 in Azerbaijan.

Iliyan Mitsanski put the away side in front, but Dimitrij Nazarov levelled early in the second half. Ventsislav Hristov headed the winner four minutes after coming off the bench.

The shock of the night came in Group B as Cyprus stunned Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-1 away from home.

All looked well for the hosts when Vedad Ibisevic put them ahead after six minutes, but Demetris Christofi equalised on the stroke of half-time and then scored again in the 73rd minute. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s misery was complete when Miralem Pjanic saw his penalty saved by Antonis Georgallides.

Wales also came from behind to win 2-1 and had the brilliance of Gareth Bale to thank for earning them victory in Andorra. The minnows took the lead through Ildefons Lima's sixth-minute penalty, but the Real Madrid forward equalised with a towering head and then won it nine minutes from time with a well-placed free-kick.