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Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during stoppage time to secure a 1-0 victory, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice at the death to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them facing elimination, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having yielded only a single draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a playoff spot.

Major Incidents

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

Hungary enhanced their hopes of advancing by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into second place behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in late added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken shot in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group persisted as they were held to a two-all draw at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their impressive qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that spent most of the match sitting back. Spain controlled the match with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Other Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach commented: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now looks their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points ahead of Israel. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure second spot and, while they can still mathematically overtake the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.