Holland see off Belarus but need miracle after Sweden’s rout of Luxembourg

• Dutch left needing seven-goal win over Sweden to reach World Cup play-offs
• Belgium beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-3 in significant Group H showdown

Holland’s chances of reaching the World Cup finals are almost certainly over, with Saturday night’s results meaning Dick Advocaat’s team need to beat Sweden by seven goals on Tuesday to reach the play-offs, while Bosnia-Herzegovina’s dramatic 4-3 home defeat by Belgium in Sarajevo had implications well beyond their hopes of finishing second in Group H.

The Dutch won 3-1 away to Belarus in Group A but look set to miss out on their second major tournament in a row because of their inferior goal difference. Sweden’s 8-0 thrashing of Luxembourg in Solna gives them a goal-difference superiority over Holland of 12 goals. The Al Ain striker Marcus Berg scored four times and the captain Andreas Granqvist converted a penalty in each half in the Swedes’ biggest victory since 1938.

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