World Cup Qualifiers: Netherlands and Portugal earn vital victories
Sunday 3 September 2017 23:07, UK
The Netherlands earned a vital 3-1 win over a battling Bulgaria in Amsterdam, while Portugal battled to a 1-0 win in Hungary in the latest round of World Cup Qualifiers.
The Dutch are up to third in Group A on 13 points, a point above Bulgaria but still three behind Sweden, who won 4-0 in Belarus, and four off section leaders France after they were surprisingly held 0-0 at home by Luxembourg.
Davy Propper, a surprise inclusion in place of playmaker Wesley Sneijder, scored his first international goal after seven minutes in a bright start for the hosts, who had not won in their previous seven matches at the Amsterdam Arena.
Brighton & Hove Albion signing Propper secured a half-time lead when he tucked home a cross from Daley Blind who provided a similar square ball for Robben to net the second goal after 67 minutes.
Bulgaria pulled one back within two minutes with Georgi Kostadinov claiming the final touch after a curling free kick by captain Ivelin Popov went straight through the defence, but the Dutch restored a two-goal advantage in the 80th minute when Propper headed home Quincy Promes cross.
Sweden, who beat France 2-1 in June, are second in Group A behind the French after Les Bleus' incredible draw in Toulouse, following a resounding 4-0 win in Belarus with goals from Emil Forsberg, Christoffer Nyman, Marcus Berg and an Andreas Granqvist penalty.
Elsewhere, Portugal ensured they cannot finish lower than second in Group B after they ground out a 1-0 win over 10-man Hungary.
Former Watford forward Tamas Priskin was sent off after half an hour for an elbow on Pepe but it was only Andre Silva's header from Cristiano Ronaldo's cross that sealed all three points.
Switzerland's comfortable 3-0 win in Latvia means they stay three points clear at the top of Group B but automatic progress is not beyond Portugal, who host Switzerland in their final fixture. The other game in the group saw the Faroe Islands beat Andorra 1-0.
Belgium sealed their qualification for Russia with a 2-1 win in Greece in Group H. Bosnia-Herzegovina jumped a point ahead of Greece with a 4-0 win in Gibraltar, Edin Dzeko scoring twice, while Cyprus' 1-0 defeat to Estonia means they are now four points adrift.
Group I leaders Croatia were not given an easy ride at home to bottom side Kosovo in a match played to its conclusion having been abandoned on Saturday.
Croatia sneaked a 1-0 win thanks to defender Domagoj Vida's goal 16 minutes from time and now sit two points clear of Ukraine at the top of the standings.
