5 Takeaways From Holland’s Dramatic Win Against Kazakhstan

Finding even one poor soul who could have predicted just how this match was to pan out would be a terribly difficult exercise. But in fairness to Viktor Dmitrenko and the rest of the team, they proved themselves despite the loss. On the basis of this performance, they'll be a tough nut to crack for anyone in the coming months. Next time, they just need a bit more luck and an extra shot of discipline.

A glaring absence of any real ingenuity or creation was a major factor in The Netherlands' struggle to take all three points from their home match against international minnows Kazakhstan. With Nigel De Jong a real luxury in the middle of the park, it was hard to believe this was the same side that had performed so wonderfully at the World Cup. The road to Paris is by no means a smooth one.

It was easy to imagine that Yuri Krasnozhan's side would set themselves up the way they did. Sitting deep, they did their best to soak up the home side's pressure for as long as they could. And it worked immensely well overall. In all honesty, though Guus Hiddink should have seen it coming and his blushes were spared massively by goals from Ibrahim Afellay, Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Robin Van Persie. They'll continue to struggle unless they adapt.

Who knows how Friday's European Championship qualifier might have ended had the Kazakhs ended the game with 11 men, but the 3-1 finish shouldn't take away from the level of conviction and concentration they showed for large periods. In particular, Renat Abdulin's early headed goal to snatch the lead was a testament to just how well they performed. What a ending it was, and what a moment for the player.

There was no obvious danger when Afellay picked the ball up in the middle of the park shortly after the hour mark, but that didn't stop Baurzhan Dzolchiev from sliding in recklessly to dispossess him. His punishment was a straight red card that came just minutes after the home side had taken the lead. From there, it all fell apart for them, and it was a disappointing end to a spirited display. Van Persie and company got away with this one.