Frank Rijkaard's side finally began to exhibit the talent that had made them pre-tournament favourites for Euro 2000 following a stuttering victory over the Czech Republic in their opening game.

A wretched opening against the Danes followed, before goals from Patrick Kluivert, Ronald de Boer and Boudewijn Zenden finally clicked the Dutch into gear.

Despite a promising start by Denmark, who hit the bar and missed a late penalty, the Euro 92 champions exited the tournament and may have conceded a hatful but for Peter Schmeichel.

The Czech Republic, who had lost 2-1 to France earlier in the day, will now face the Danes in the final game, which has been rendered meaningless by both countries' early eliminations.

Holland made changes to the side that beat the Czech Republic earlier in the week.

Arsenal winger Marc Overmars returned to the Dutch side in place of Clarence Seedorf but the injured Jaap Stam, of Manchester United, gave way to Bert Konterman.

And it was Rangers-bound Konterman who fashioned the first opening of the game, his long ball seized on by Kluivert, only for Michael Schjonberg to usher the ball to Peter Schmeichel.

Current Rangers midfielder Giovanni van Bronckhorst made a different kind of early impression, entering referee Urs Meier's notebook for a hefty challenge on Morten Bisgaard.

Danish midfielder Bisgaard then provided the first attempt at goal but his seventh-minute shot lacked the power to trouble Edwin van der Sar.

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Schmeichel made a timely dash from his line two minutes later, beating Bergkamp to Michael Reiziger's chip.

Reiziger then joined van Bronckhorst in the book, being yellow-carded for stopping Jesper Gronkjaer in full flow.

The home side were struggling to break down the organised Danish ranks and may have even fallen behind to Bo Johansson's side on 24 minutes.

Bisgaard surged his way down the Dutch left and, having beaten Edgar Davids on the by-line, crossed low into the six-yard box.

Edwin van der Sar parried the ball and Bisgaard's instinctive shot was only kept out by the prostrate body of team-mate Allan Nielsen.

Denmark were clearly troubling Holland down the flanks and Frank de Boer snuffed out the next raid, turning Gronkjaer's low centre out of the danger area for a corner three minutes later.

Overmars should have put the blue-shirted Dutch ahead on the half-hour but, reacting to a mistake by Schmeichel, watched his volley dribble the wrong side of a post.

Schmeichel had failed to hold Kluivert's shot - his side's first on-target effort of the match - and the ball looped to Overmars.

But Schmeichel pressured the winger as he shaped to shoot and Overmars failed to make clean contact, much to the relief of the giant keeper.

It took the probings of Bergkamp to rouse Holland from their tepid opening, and Schmeichel's bravery to keep the scores level.

Edgar Davids seized onto a slide-rule Bergkamp pass but the midfielder's shot was charged down by the keeper.

But Denmark came even closer to an opening goal a minute before the interval when Thomas Gravesen took advantage of hesitant defending to shoot from 20 yards. The midfielder's curling effort beat the bewildered van der Sar only to strike the crossbar.

Denmark's wingers, Bisgaard and Gronkjaer, continued to cause problems at the start of the second period, each going close in the opening exchanges.

Bisgaard struck a shot straight at van der Sar and then Gronkjaer's pace took him away from the Dutch defence down the left but he shot into the side netting after racing into the area.

Nielsen and Konterman were both cautioned for late tackles before a moment of brilliance from Bergkamp broke the stalemate.

The Arsenal striker found space on the edge of the area and poked the ball through the Danish backline and ran onto it himself.

Schmeichel made a sprawling save - with Marc Overmars and Zenden seemingly in off-side positions - with the ball landing at Kluivert's feet, who calmly sidefooted the ball beyond the outstretched keeper from the edge of the box.

Overmars was replaced by Ronald de Boer shortly afterwards and within eight minutes of the first, the substitute had doubled the lead.

Zenden, having reverted to the left on Overmars' exit, fired in a low 65th-minute centre for de Boer to finish from within the six-yard box.

A glorious cross-field pass from van Bronckhorst provided Kluivert with time and space in the area but the Barcelona striker's hesitancy was seized upon by Schmeichel, who slid the ball out of the box.

Bergkamp cleverly fed Zenden with the loose ball but Schmeichel again came to the Danes' rescue with another point-blank stop.

But Schmeichel could do nothing about Holland's third after a thrilling break down the middle by Michael Reiziger opened up the Danish defence again.

Reiziger carried the ball more than 50 yards before squaring for Zenden to place the ball beyond the stranded keeper at the far post.

To add insult to their second-half injuries, Schjonberg missed from the spot 10 minutes before the end, blasting wide of van der Sar's goal after the keeper had up-ended Ebbe Sand.

Van der Sar left the fray with what seemed a hamstring problem seconds from time, giving way to Liverpool's Sander Westerveld but any impediment to Dutch progress was merely flitting.