Van Persie predicts Turkey will make way for Dutch in playoffs

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Netherlands striker Robin van Persie believes Turkey, where he plays his club football, will drop points in their last two Euro 2106 qualifiers giving the Dutch the chance of a playoff spot.

“Don’t ask me why but they are surely going to drop points,” Fenerbahce’s Van Persie, who is on the verge of playing his 100th game for his country, told reporters on Tuesday.

The Netherlands are preparing for two vital Group A games against the bottom team Kazakhstan on Saturday and already-qualified Czech Republic on Tuesday. The Dutch are fourth, two points behind Turkey in the race for third place and a spot in next month’s playoffs.

Iceland and the Czechs have already claimed the top two places and qualified for the finals in France.

Van Persie and his team mates must hope the Turks, who also have a better head-to-head recover against the Dutch, drop points away to the Czech Republic and at home to Iceland.

“I’ve noticed at Fenerbahce that my Turkish team mates have no doubt they’ll progress,” said Van Persie.

“But believe me, I think they’ll slip up. Then it is up to us to win twice. We must do everything to do that. How we get there doesn’t really matter.”

Van Persie could win his 100th cap against Kazakhstan, though since Danny Blind became Netherlands coach the ex-Arsenal and Manchester United forward has been largely sidelined.

“It would be great to play but that’s up to the coach,” Van Persie added. “I had pictured a different circumstance in which to win my 100th cap. But all I’m concerned with now is winning.”

(Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Ken Ferris)