MX23RW : Friday, April 19 06:42:41| >> :600:122586:122586:

Louis van Gaal: 'Netherlands motivated to beat Turkey'

Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal insists that his side will not roll over for Turkey in their final World Cup qualifier tonight.

Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal has insisted that tonight's World Cup qualifier with Turkey remains important for his side, despite already securing a trip to Brazil next summer.

Holland have enjoyed a hugely successful qualifying campaign, winning eight of their nine matches in Group D ahead of this evening's final fixture in Istanbul.

Turkey need a win this evening to claim second spot and a playoff place, with Romania level on points ahead of their clash with Estonia.

With Turkey desperate for three points Van Gaal has declared that the intense atmosphere in Istanbul will provide his young squad with a stern test, with the Oranje coach adamant that he still expects to win.

He told reporters: "It will be interesting to see how the guys will deal with it. That's why this game is also important for us. The environment in Brazil will be the same.

"The football fans in Turkey are incredible. As a player I loved that. I had no problems with that. I think the players also. But we will actually know that tomorrow."

"I said that already after our first game against Turkey, they are the best after Holland in our group. On the other hand, I could be wrong in the end. Because we really want to defeat Turkey to get points for the FIFA ranking."

Holland are unbeaten in their last 31 qualifying matches, a run they extended by beating Hungary 8-1 last Friday.

ID:111240: cacheID:111240:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2471:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Robin van Persie of Holland celebrates after scoring their fifth goal during the FIFA 2014 World Cup Qualifing match between Holland and Hungary at Amsterdam Arena on October 11, 2013
Read Next:
Van Gaal lauds Van Persie's Dutch milestone
>
Read more about Louis van Gaal Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City32227376324473
2Arsenal32225575264971
3Liverpool32218372314171
4Aston Villa33196868491963
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle321551269521750
7Manchester UnitedMan Utd32155124748-150
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham33139115258-648
9Chelsea31138106152947
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton321111105250244
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves32127134651-543
12Fulham33126154951-242
13Bournemouth32119124757-1042
14Crystal Palace3289153754-1733
15Brentford3388174758-1132
16Everton3298153248-1627
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3379174258-1626
18Luton TownLuton3367204670-2425
19Burnley3348213368-3520
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3237223084-5416


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!