Netherlands and Turkey met at the Amsterdam ArenA this evening both looking to make up ground in the race to progress from Euro 2016 qualifying Group A.
The Dutch failed to do much of note with their superior possession and the visitors led at half time thanks to Burak Yilmaz's strike on the turn on 36 minutes.
With Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie missing, Guus Hiddink's charges lacked ideas and appeared to be on course for a first competitive defeat on home soil in 54 matches.
However, Klaas Jan Huntelaar rescued them a 1-1 draw in stoppage-time by diverting Wesley Sneijder's shot past the goalkeeper with his head.
Relive how the action unfolded in Holland with Sports Mole's live text updates below.
Good evening ladies and gents. Never mind that the Premier League is on vacation this week, because there is a feast of international football action and Sports Mole has you covered. Here, I am focusing on the Euro 2016 qualifier between Netherlands and Turkey at Ajax's Amsterdam ArenA.
Victory is imperative for Guus Hiddink's charges, who already find themselves six points behind Group A's top two after two losses in their opening four qualifiers. This afternoon's results were a mixed bag for the Dutch. Leaders Czech Republic were held at home by Lativa, but Iceland cruised past Kazakhstan.
Contrary to the beliefs of English cynics, the struggles of the World Cup semi-finalists is showing that this qualifying business is not as easy as it seems. Hiddink is without a couple of star men tonight too, with Manchester United's Robin van Persie and Bayern Munich's Arjen Robben both out injured.
Let us see then who Hiddink does have available as we take a look at the team news...
NETHERLANDS: Cillessen; Van der Wiel, De Vrij, Martins Indi, Blind; Wijnaldum, De Jong; Sneijder, Afellay, Depay; Huntelaar
TURKEY: Babacan, Tufan, Gonul, Aziz, Balta, Erkin, Tore, Inan, Topal, Sen, Yilmaz
So no Robben or Van Persie in the home lineup, but still plenty of familiar names and talent. United utility man Daley Blind is used at left-back and celebrated playmaker Wesley Sneijder will pull the strings behind lone striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar, who has 38 international goals to his name.
Reported United and Spurs target Memphis Depay is the next big thing in Dutch football and will start on the left wing. Olympiacos's Ibrahim Affelay, who once held that tag himself, starts on the opposite flank as he continues his return to the Holland fold after several years in the wilderness.
Turkey are without suspended talisman Arda Turan, whose season with Atletico Madrid has been hampered by injuries. They still possess threats, though, with former Chelsea winger Gokhan Tore having developed into a fine player at Besiktas and Galatasaray's Burak Yilmaz always good for a goal up top.
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Holland and Turkey have played each other three times this decade, and on each occasion the Dutch have won without conceding. They have not lost to Turkey since 1997.
ONE TO WATCH: Depay is expected to be one of the hottest properties in the summer transfer window and tonight we will get a first-hand look at who United and Spurs are reportedly so keen on.
PREDICTION: The teams are out for their national anthems, which means kickoff is imminent. This is must win for either side if they want to finish in the top two, but Holland have home advantage, and their extra experience and class should show as they secure a two-goal victory.
KICKOFF! The Dutch get us underway in their famous orange strip. The Amsterdam crowd is up for this.
Plenty of early ball for the Dutch. Blind is released down the left and whips in a low cross which Georginio Wijnaldum was destined to meet before Turkish keeper Volkan Babacan dives to collect.
SAVE! Depay plays a one-two with Blind on the left touchline before charging into the area and striking across goal, with Babacan doing well to palm behind for a corner. Depay definitely carries a goal threat, he is already well into double figures for PSV Eindhoven this season.
Sneijder has scored some absolute pearlers for Galatasaray this season, and tries his luck from distance here. Two Turkish defenders were closing him down and he drags a shot a few yards wide under harassment.
Turkey have barely had a touch so far. It has been Holland and they look a particular threat down their left, with Blind and Depay combining well and Sneijder joining in from a deeper, central position.
CHANCE! Turkey's first venture forward presents them with a glorious chance as Caner Erkin skips past Gregory van der Wiel down the left and delivers for the unmarked Yilmaz in the box. The cross is just behind the striker, and he has to check his run and take a touch before shooting left footed on the swivel. Martins Indi makes the block a few yards in front of his own line. It may have been blocked by his shoulder, but Turkish appeals for a penalty are waved away by German referee Felix Brych.
That one breakaway has given the Turks a lift. Their newfound confidence may cause gaps to open up at the back, though, and Van der Wiel gets in down the right only for his cross to be cleared at the near post.
Nigel de Jong clatters into the back of Yilmaz on the halfway line, but gets away without a card. He likes a tackle does De Jong. I'm sure many of you will remember the flying kick of the 2010 World Cup final.
A promising break falters when Blind loses his balance, but Holland are immediately back on the attack and Depay shoots low and hard towards the bottom corner, without much power and Babacan saves.
His side may have been camped in their own half for much of the half, but veteran Turkey manager Fatih Terim will be content with their start. The Dutch have not hurt them with the possession that they have had and look susceptible to pace on the counter-attack. The longer it is 0-0, the better for Turkey.
Sneijder drops a free kick to the back post, where Huntelaar was climbing all over his marker as he headed over the crossbar. The Schalke man is a poacher of the highest quality, but has had no service so far.
Erkin looks like the most likely creator for Turkey down the left. He again creates some space to get away from Van der Wiel and crosses, but his teammate in the area can only blaze over the crossbar off balance.
GOAL! NETHERLANDS 0-1 TURKEY (BURAK YILMAZ)
Turkey lead and, based on the last 15 minutes, you cannot really argue that is isn't deserved! Tore makes a determined run down the right and floats a good cross into the area. De Vrij's flick header behind him is picked up by Volkan Sen, who squares for Yilmaz to shoot past Jasper Cilessen on the turn from 12 yards out. A deflection off Martins Indi left the Dutch keeper with little chance.
That goal will make for a nervy atmosphere in the Dutch dressing room, and Amsterdam ArenA crowd if things stay the same until the break. Turkey have created all three of the half's best chances and probably warrant their advantage. Netherlands have done so little with the possession that they have had.
CLOSE! Tore is booked for bringing down Blind near the left byline. Sneijder's set piece from the tight angle takes a deflection and is nearly bundled over the line by De Vrij. Babacan swats the ball away and Huntelaar cannot squeeze the follow-up in at the near post.
TWO minutes of stoppage time are signalled as Cillessen boots the ball straight out of play...
Some lovely interplay between three Dutch players on the right results in Afellay getting in behind. He knocks a really good ball across the six-yard box, but it is in front of Huntelaar and rolls away from danger.
HALF-TIME: NETHERLANDS 0-1 TURKEY
The Dutch's automatic qualifying hopes are looking increasingly rocky as they head into the break trailing Turkey. Burak Yimaz's strike has put the visitors on course for what would be three valuable points.
This would not have been my predicted half-time score after 15 minutes. Holland had all of the early ball and a couple of promising attacks, but they did less and less with their possession as the half went on and ended up creating very little. Turkey had three good chances and took the last of them to lead.
Too much of Holland's possession has been with the centre-backs around the halfway line. Martins Indi and De Vrij do not look confident in bringing the ball out, despite the vast space that Turkey are offering them. Sneijder has dropped deeper to try to influence play, but that sacrifices a great attacking threat.
BENCH WATCH: Bas Dost, who has been in fine form for Wolfsburg this campaign, is an option on the Dutch bench. Moving Blind into midfield and Sneijder further forward may be the best thing for them to do and therefore Jetro Willems could be used at left-back. Terim has no reason to look at his bench yet.
LATEST: Here are the half-time scores from tonight's three other Euro 2016 qualifiers: Andorra 0-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina; Belgium 2-0 Cyprus, Bulgaria 2-1 Italy.
KICKOFF: The Dutch were out early for the second half and have made a half-time change, with Luciano Narsingh replacing Wijnaldum, which will see Afellay shifted inside to the Sneijder role.
Netherlands have not lost three games in qualifying for the European Championships since 1968 and are defending a 19-game winning streak in competitive matches at home. Plenty on the line for them...
Narsingh's pace will give Netherlands a genuine outlet down the right. Sneijder tries to release him with an early ball over the top, but Mehmet Topal is just about quick enough to keep up and does well on the cover.
MISS! Netherlands should be level, and it is their substitute who is culpable for a really bad miss! Sneijder knocks a great ball in towards Huntelaar and, although Babacan's punch denies the striker, it falls straight to Narsingh, who drags a left-footed shot horribly wide of the open goal from eight yards.
A cross from the overlapping Blind is cleared at the near post. Depay collects the loose ball and tries to bend a shot into the far corner, but Babacan reads his intentions and ends up making a simple catch.
SHOT! Great effort from Afellay, who unleashes a ferocious left-footed half-volley from 25 yards which Babacan tips over the bar. It might take a moment of magic like that to get Holland level at this rate.
SUBSTITUTION: Terim makes a change as he looks to stall this Netherlands momentum. Volkan Sen, creator of Yilmaz's goal is off for Hakan Calhanoglu, who is enjoying a fine time of things at Bayer Leverkusen and was a surprise omission from the Turkish starting lineup, particularly with Turan unavailable.
SUBSTITUTION: Hiddink responds with a change of own, ditching the ineffective De Jong and Holland's precious 4-3-3 formation to go with two up top as debutant Dost comes on to partner Huntelaar.
A reminder that defeat would leave Netherlands fourth in Group A and a long way off the automatic qualifying places. Hiddink is scheduled to step aside for assistant Danny Blind after Euro 2016, but a change may be made sooner than that if things do not improve quickly here.
An injury concern for Turkey as Serdar Aziz requires treatment following a heavy fall. The defender, winning only his second cap tonight, has had an excellent game so far competing with Huntelaar in the air.
SUBSTITUTION: Van der Wiel becomes the first Dutchman into the booking for obstructing Calhanoglu. Turkey use the stoppage to substitute the injured Aziz, with Ersan Gulum on in his place.
CLOSE! A free kick is perfectly positioned for Sniejder to have a pop. He whips a curling shot over the wall and has Babacan scrambling, but the ball cannons into the stanchion behind the goal.
A good clearing header from Ersan at one end is followed up by a run and shot from Tore at the other, with De Vrij making the block. The game is opening up and that will suit the counter-attacking Turks.
SUBSTITUTIONS: A change for each side. Yilmaz pulled up with a hamstring problem a few minutes ago and is now replaced by former Sheffield United and Blackburn winger Colin Kazim-Richards. Hiddink swaps Martins Indi for Willems, which means pace on both flanks and Blind in central defence.
CHANCE! Immediately a chance for Willems as he pops up in space at the back post to blaze a first-time shot over the bar after a cross from the right had failed to be cleared by the Turkey defence.
Netherlands continue to look devoid of ideas and are being reduced to knocking long balls up to their two big strikers, which Turkey have dealt with well so far. This is hardly the 'total football' that the Dutch swear by.
Turkey have kept the ball well for the last few minutes to run the clock down. There was a hint of an opening too, but Tore's reverse pass to Kazim-Richards was too heavy and the chance went begging.
Better build-up play from the Dutch sees Depay tee up Sneijder for a dipping shot which Babacan punches clear of danger. The Turkish keeper has been there for his side when they have needed him tonight.
Ersan takes a blow to the head from Dost and milks every second of treatment that he can get. Holland will rightly be criticised for their impotence, but Turkey deserve great credit for coming with a game-plan and executing it perfectly (so far). They have defended very well and punched back on the counter when possible.
There will be SIX minutes of stoppage time for Netherlands to rescue something here. Not sure where all of that time has come from, and neither is Terim by the look of his expression on the sidelines.
GOAL! NETHERLANDS 1-1 TURKEY (WESLEY SNEIJDER)
A stoppage-time equaliser from Huntelaar, and a hammer blow for Turkey! Sneijder's shot from the edge of the box takes a big diversion off the head of the Schalke striker and beats the wrong-footed Babacan. So cruel on the visitors, and it could yet get worse with still three minutes remaining.
Depay slices a half-volley over the bar on his weaker foot. The Turks are really nervy now...
FULL-TIME: NETHERLANDS 1-1 TURKEY
A very fortunate point for the Dutch as a Huntelaar goal in stoppage time rescues them and the under-fire Hiddink in Amsterdam. Turkey led after Yilmaz's 36th-minute strike and deserved to hold on for what would have been three crucial points in their Group A qualifying campaign.
The point does no immediate favours for either side as they remain third and fourth and well adrift of the top two - Czech Republic and Iceland. Defeat would have been disastrous for Holland and they will be relieved to have drawn. Turkey have a lot of work to do, but have their easiest fixtures ahead of them.
That's it from me, but Sports Mole's coverage of the Euro 2016 qualifiers continues tomorrow, with Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Northern Ireland all in action. Thanks for joining us tonight. Until next time...
