The Netherlands are on the verge of their second successive defeat in their qualifying group for Euro 2016 as they trail minnows Kazakhstan 1-0 at the break in Amsterdam.

Robin van Persie thought he had put the home side ahead after 12 minutes when he pounced to slip home after an initial shot was fumbled, but the linesman's flag was raised before the Dutch skipper had even touched the ball.

The visitors spent the majority of the half defending stoutly on the edge of their own box and had barely touched the ball before they took the lead with their first effort of the evening.

In the 16th minute, Renat Abdulin stooped to meet Andrei Karpovich's outswinging corner with a diving header, which shuddered the underside of the bar before bouncing over the line.

Van Persie almost responded immediately with a clever, flicked header, but it nestled on the roof of the net.

For all their attacking flair, the Oranje struggled to carve open any clear-cut opportunities and the crowd became increasingly restless as half time approached.

Arjen Robben seems to be the most likely source of a goal, but his jinking runs have been smothered by a mass of Kazakhstan bodies and his only clear sight of goal saw him blaze a wayward shot high and wide.

Four minutes before half time, Gregory van der Wiel escaped down the right flank, and his low cross flashed across the face of goal, but Jeremain Lens skewed his shot horribly wide from a tight angle.