Football: Netherlands manager's regrettable comments as Sweden wins 8-0

Netherland's coach Dick Advocaat. Photo / AP.

Netherlands manager Dick Advocaat was certain his side were still going to be in with a respectable shot of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup during a pre-match press conference ahead of his side's penultimate qualification clash with Belarus on Saturday.

Prior to the trio of round nine UEFA Group A qualifiers two days ago, the Netherlands sat in third place on 13 points, three points behind second-placed Sweden.

With France topping the Group A standings with a three points lead over the Swedes, automatic qualification seemed a hurdle too high to jump Advocaat and his players.

Instead, they aimed to finish second in their group, which would give them a ticket to the UEFA play-off round, the last chance for European nations to secure their spot at football's most prestigeous event in Russia next year.

Heading into their match with Belarus, the Dutch also conceded a worse goal difference than Sweden, who had an advantage of six goals.

This prompted one reporter to ask Advocaat whether he was worried Sweden would run up a large score against a much smaller Luxembourg side, who had only won one of their previous eight qualification matches.

"But what if Sweden win with like 8-0 against Luxembourg?" asked the reporter.

"They won't win 8-0, what a stupid question that is," Advocaat said. "8-0? Well, no I don't believe that."

Netherlands coach Dick Advocaat: "Sweden won’t win 8-0, what a stupid question that is."

Sweden won 8-0 today. https://t.co/PZxxCBAPzd

— Futbol World (@FutbolWorId) October 7, 2017

Unfortunately for Advocaat, Sweden went on to hand the Luxembourgers with their sixth defeat of the campaign in an 8-0 romp.

Despite the Netherlands' 3-1 win over Belarus a few hours later, Sweden's obliteration of d'Roud Léiwen has made their mission of World Cup qualification virutally impossible.

The two nations face off against each other in Amsterdam on Wednesday morning (NZT), and because of Sweden's improved goal difference of 12, the Dutch need to win by at least seven goals to make the European play-offs.

With the Netherlands, who have finished in the top three at the last two World Cups, almost certainly out of contention to qualify for Russia 2018, Advocaat could try writing off his own team's chances to try and salvage an unlikely win.