Mihaylov comes out to fearlessly claim a Sneijder cross, and stays down following the smart piece of goalkeeping, appearing to have picked up a knock. It could just be a tactic to run the final seconds off, but at this point the lead doesn't appear to be in any doubt.
90' +2
Barring any late drama in Sofia, the Dutch are poised to drop to fourth in Group A. France will retain first having beat Luxembourg, while Sweden's victory over Belarus takes them into second, narrowly ahead of Bulgaria, who are in line for a massive three points.
90'
There will be five minutes added on at the end of this match.
89'
N. Bodurov enters the game and replaces S. Delev.
Curtain call for Delev, Bulgaria's hero tonight, as he's replaced in the final minutes here to a standing ovation from these appreciative fans, with Nikolay Bodurov taking his place.
88'
The Dutch have sunk to their last resort, heaving long balls forward in a desperate attempt to break into attack. It's not working, to put it kindly.
86'
A. Nedyalkov enters the game and replaces P. Zanev.
Zanev is carried off on a stretcher, a real shame after such a strong outing for him. He's replaced by Anton Nedyalkov.
85'
There's a pair of Bulgaria players down injured now after colliding, as more precious time is run off the clock. This one looks a bit more serious than the others, though, as some of the Bulgaria players signal over to the bench for a substitution for their injured team-mate.
83'
STAT: The Netherlands have not been held scoreless away from home in a World Cup qualifier since 2001 - a string of 17 matches.
81'
Dost gets on the end of a Sneijder cross and forces Mihaylov into a save with a header. The Dutch have two big target men up top, yet that's one of the few times they have actually put a cross in through the air. Where has that been all match?
Minute
Description
79'
More time wasting tactics from Bulgaria, with Bozhikov going down this time after an innocent coming together with Dost. Mihaylov collects the ball and puts it into touch, before the defender pops back up moments later, no worse for wear.
77'
Defender Wesley Hoedt has more touches on the ball than attackers Robben, Klaassen and Dost - and he only came on at half-time. That speaks volumes as to the impotence of the Dutch attack tonight.
75'
Frustration is building for the Netherlands, as they commit some rushed fouls in an attempt to win the ball back when they lose it. Their attacking threat has gone away again, as has the tempo following the string of substitutions and injury stoppage.
73'
Bulgaria are doing an excellent job seeing this through. More time will run off the clock now as Chorbadzhiyski goes down with a crap, further taking the sting out of the match. The Dutch are on their final legs here.
71'
STAT: The last meeting between the two nations was in a 2012 friendly, which Bulgaria won 2-1 in Amsterdam.
69'
L. de Jong enters the game and replaces Q. Promes.
A final switch for the Dutch as striker Luuk de Jong replaces Promes.
68'
B. Kraev enters the game and replaces I. Popov.
Bulgaria make their first change of the night, which sees Bozhidar Kraev replace Popov.
66'
Everyone behind the ball now for Bulgaria, as they park themselves in defence in an attempt to see this through. The Dutch have had 75 per cent possession, but still nothing to show for it.
64'
You can feel the momentum swinging a bit as we pass the hour mark. Still the Netherlands have it all to do, but they're starting to knock on the door. If this trend continues, you would fancy them to at least threaten to make a game of it in the final 30 minutes.
62'
MIHAYLOV TO THE RESCUE! The Dutch are turning on the style now! Sneijder lofts a terrific ball over the top for Dost, who knocks it down smartly into the path of Klaassen, but the midfielder's first-time effort is thwarted brilliantly by Mihaylov!
60'
DREADFUL FINISH! That's much more like the Oranje of old as they carve through the Bulgarian defence, before Sneijder is presented with a shooting chance. The substitute cuts onto his right in the area, but gets the contact all wrong, slicing an effort miles wide.
58'
THERE'S THE SHOT! Nothing to get too excited about from a Dutch perspective, but at least an encouraging sign as Promes forces Mihaylov into a smart save with a well-struck effort from just under 25 yards.
56'
The Dutch still don't have a shot on target and have created just one decent scoring chance. The three goals they need to claim victory seem like a pipe dream right now - as does the two they need to tie it. Putting Mihaylov to work would be a decent start.
54'
Harmlessly over! Decent bit of interplay from the Dutch as they build down the right before switching over to the left after a smart flick on by Dost, but Sneijder's cross-cum-shot rises over the bar and crashes down on the wrong side of the goal.
52'
STAT: The Netherlands are unbeaten in their last 17 World Cup qualifying matches away from home (W14, D3).
50'
Bulgaria weather the early storm - though it was more like light showers than a storm - with relative ease. This match has had little pace to it from the opening kick-off, and with a two-goal lead to defend, the hosts will be aiming to keep it that way.
48'
Plenty of possession for the Netherlands early in this second half, hardly a change from the first. What they're doing with it a bit different, though, at least showing a bit of attacking intent here. A good ball comes in from Karsdorp on the right, but Dost can't get a touch to it.
46'
W. Sneijder enters the game and replaces G. Wijnaldum.
W. Hoedt enters the game and replaces M. de Ligt.
De Ligt's debut has not gone at all according to plan, and he's replaced after 45 minutes by Wesley Hoedt, also making his international debut.
Wesley Sneijder is on for the Netherlands to start the second half, replacing Wijnaldum.
Here they go again...
45' +1
HALF-TIME: BULGARIA 2-0 NETHERLANDS.
45'
There will be one minute added on at the end of this first half.
43'
GLORIOUS CHANCE! The Dutch break quickly following a Bulgaria corner, and Klaassen chases down a clever dink over the top, sliding in to keep it alive and complete the pull-back for Dost, but the striker sends a first-time effort wide of the near post! He absolutely has to be hitting the target from there!
41'
Rushed effort from Dost, who manages to fend off a defender and get on the end of a bouncing ball in the box, but he really snatches at the shot in the end, skying his shot high and wide at the near post.
40'
STAT: This is the seventh competitive meeting between these two sides all-time. The first six have been evenly split with two wins each, and two draws.
38'
Danny Blind has to be considering changes at the interval. There's already plenty of movement with the substitutes, but you have to figure he wouldn't make a change until after the break at this point. Perhaps Memphis Depay, who scored twice off the bench against Luxembourg, could help provide the spark they so desperately need.
36'
The midfield trio of Strootman, Klaassen and Wijnaldum have been very poor. Strootman's distribution has especially been off, while Wijnaldum has been a passenger. Klaassen is working hard off the ball, but his quality has been unmistakably absent on it.
34'
The visitors have been parked in Bulgaria's end for the last five minutes, but have precious little to show for it. They're not nearly positive enough in their approach, and with a big target in Dost up top, you have to wonder why the crosses aren't coming into the box.
32'
There's absolutely nothing notable happening right now on the pitch. It's been a rather embarrassingly lethargic showing from the Dutch, who are still in search of their first shot, wasting their time in possession with an inexplicable lack of desire.
30'
STAT: The Netherlands have now conceded 25 goals under Danny Blind as a manager in 1460 minutes of play (17 games).
28'
This is like the same movie, on repeat. Qualifying has been a nightmare for the Netherlands since September 2014, and there's no explanation for it. Danny Blind hasn't been able to pick up the pieces after Guus Hiddink's miserable stint in charge.
26'
There's not nearly enough tempo to the Netherlands' approach play. It's all very contemplative, as they patiently work it around on the fringes, not at all threatening to find a way through.
24'
The Dutch can hardly get out of their own end here, and when they do, it's only for a few harmless seconds before possession is conceded back to Bulgaria. What a shocking effort this has been from them.
22'
This is a dream start for Bulgaria, up 2-0 inside 20 minutes. They've looked completely untroubled by the Netherlands' supposedly potent attack, and have done so well to get after this make-shift backline, missing their three top-choice centre-backs in De Vrij, Bruma and Van Dijk.
20'
S. Delev has scored a goal for Bulgaria! Assist by G. Kostadinov.
Kostadinov provides the assist.
BULGARIA DOUBLE THEIR LEAD! De Ligt gets on the end of the ball over the top this time, but his clearance only finds the head of Kostadinov. The midfielder picks out Delev, who turns and rifles an expert finish into the bottom corner from 20 yards!
19'
STAT: Bulgaria have won each of their last three qualifiers (World Cup and Euro) after a run of five without victory (D2, L3).
17'
Martins Indi to the rescue for the Dutch, who are coming under some pressure again. Delev makes a strong run down the right and tries to pull it back for Manolev at the byline, but the Stoke City centre-half is there to cut it out.
15'
The link between midfield and attack has been non-existent for the Dutch. Strootman and Wijnaldum are both playing similar roles, which is leaving Klaassen to fill the Sneijder role, but the Ajax skipper has been unable to influence matters much in possession.
13'
It's all been rather contemplative thus far from the visitors. Robben and Promes have been too narrow, which has seen everything get a bit congested. There's been no passage through for the Oranje in the centre.
11'
The Dutch have really settled in now, commanding possession as they aim to get into a rhythm. Most of their presence in the Bulgaria end is harmless, but the hosts are starting to drop deeper.
9'
STAT: The Netherlands have now failed to keep a clean sheet in their last nine Euro/World Cup qualifiers, their longest run without one since 1963 (12).
7'
Well that's certainly not the start De Ligt had envisioned to his international career. The centre-half is coming off a string of remarkable performances for Ajax, including a clean sheet and man of the match effort against Copenhagen in the Europa League, but he sure didn't look the part there.
5'
S. Delev has scored a goal for Bulgaria! Assist by S. Slavchev.
Good spot over the top from Slavchev who provides the assist, though that really should have been dealt with.
NIGHTMARE START FOR THE DEBUTANTE! De Ligt can't deal with a route one ball over the top and Delev pounces, poking the ball beyond Zoet before walking it across the line! Sofia erupts!
3'
It's far from a packed house in Sofia tonight, with only about a third of the stands full. Those in attendance are doing their best to make a hostile atmosphere for the visiting Dutch, and they're treated to a bright start from Bulgaria as Popov forces Zoet into making a save from a free-kick, following a foul by the debutante De Ligt.
1'
AND THEY'RE OFF! Bulgaria in white as they get us underway, attacking right to left, with Netherlands in blue.
Hello and welcome to live coverage from the Vasil Levski National Stadium in Sofia for live coverage of this group-shaping World Cup qualifier between Bulgaria and the Netherlands.
The Dutch have fallen off the map. From 2014 World Cup semi-finalists to 2016 Euro Cup absentees in a two-year span, and now in danger of missing Russia 2018 as they’re stuck looking up at group leaders France.
Games like these used to be routine for the Oranje in qualifying – it was business as usual, up until the departure of Louis van Gaal. The Netherlands have stumbled through qualifying since. Three points tonight are an absolute must for the Dutch, but awfully far from a given.
A quick glimpse of the Group A standings suggests a strong start to the campaign for Bulgaria. They sit just one point back of Netherlands and Sweden for second place – but there’s plenty more than meets the eye.
Petar Hubchev’s side narrowly edged out Group A minnows Belarus (1-0) and Luxembourg (4-3) in Sofia, while being dismantled away to France (4-1) and Sweden (3-0). Those aren’t convincing results no matter who you’re asking, and it gets much tougher at home today, regardless of the current form of the Dutch.
SUBS: Viergever, Veltman, Vilhena, Cillessen, Lens, De Jong, Sneijder, Vorm, Toornstra, Hoedt, Depay, Tete.
Petar Hubchev makes four changes from the 1-0 win over Belarus in November. First-choice goalkeeper Vladislav Stoyanov misses out with a knock. The injury bug also forces out midfielder Georgi Milanov and captain Svetoslav Dyakov, while Aleksandar Aleksandrov is dropped. Nikolay Mihaylov, Bozhidar Chorbadzhiyski, Stanislav Manolev and Georgi Kostadinov replace them.
Danny Blind's team selection is not short of storylines, with just Daley Blind, Georginio Wijnaldum, Davy Klaassen and Arjen Robben keeping their place in the side. With centre-backs Stefan de Vrij, Virgil van Dijk and Jeffrey Bruma out injured, 17-year-old Ajax centre-half Matthijs de Ligt makes his Netherlands debut, the youngest player to do so for the Oranje since 1931.
Wesley Sneijder is dropped from the side after a disappointing run of performances, which paves the way for the much anticipated return of Kevin Strootman to the starting XI. Bas Dost has been in superb form for Sporting in Portugal, and is selected to lead the line with Vincent Janssen out injured. Quincy Promes flanks him along with Robben, as an in-form Memphis Depay remains on the bench.
A Spas Delev brace, capitalising on a pair of mistakes from 17-year-old Netherlands debutante Matthijs de Ligt, has Bulgaria comfortably ahead at the interval in Sofia, as the Dutch's qualifying misery continues. Defeat tonight would drop them into fourth in Group A, while it would be a massive boost to Bulgaria's hopes of qualifying for a first World Cup since 1998.
Spas Delev's brace adds to the Dutch misery in qualifying as he lifts Bulgaria to a famous 2-0 win in Sofia, taking them to third place in Group A, while the Netherlands drop all the way to fourth. That's all for our live coverage, thanks for following along. Goodbye!
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