THE Netherlands’ hopes of making the Euro 2016 finals hung by a thread Sunday after last year’s World Cup semifinalist was convincingly downed 3-0 by a well-organized Turkey, which left the Dutch in fourth place in Group A.

    First-half goals by Oguzhan Ozyakup and Arda Turan put the hosts in charge and an 85th minute effort by Burak Yilmaz sealed the points for Turkey, which boosted its own hopes by moving two points above the Dutch into third spot.

    Last week’s shock loss at home to Iceland had already left the Netherlands in real danger of missing their first European Championship for three decades, but if manager Danny Blind was hoping for an immediate response from his players he would have been disappointed.

    With the Czech Republic winning to move ahead of Iceland, which plays Kazakhstan later, the Netherlands can no longer finish in the top two and will have to win both of their last two games to have any chance of a playoff spot.

    Turkey was quickly into its stride in the central Anatolian city of Konya and was ahead after eight minutes when Ozyakup latched on to a through ball from Turan and neatly lifted it over Jasper Cillessen.

    Things went from bad to worse for the Dutch, playing all in white, when sluggish defending allowed Turan in to sweep home a shot Cillessen should have stopped to send the crowd, including Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, into raptures.

    Only the lively Memphis Depay looked threatening for a pedestrian Dutch side and Turkey, content to spend most of the second half sitting back, continued to pose a danger on the break.

    Meanwhile, Daniele De Rossi converted an early penalty and was later sent off as Italy beat Bulgaria 1-0 in a Euro 2016 qualifier that saw goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon win his 150th cap for the hosts Sunday.

    De Rossi scored with a twice-taken penalty in the sixth minute but blotted his copybook early in the second half when he was dismissed after clashing with Iliyan Mitsanski, who was also sent off.

    (SD-Agencies)