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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying clash against Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

Neves headed home during injury time to claim a slender triumph, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a battling performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their first three Group F matches having produced only a solitary point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a playoff place.

Major Incidents

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of qualifying by picking up their first win with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the advantage in the opening period and a teammate secured the victory in late added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning England can now seal their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken volley in first-half added time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K continued as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the visitors late on from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ flawless record in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. The home side dominated the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the second period with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Results

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s a young talent was one of the scorers.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points clear of Israel. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the playoffs.

Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.