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Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a injury-time winner in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had saved a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during added time to snatch a narrow triumph, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to defeat a resilient Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a battling performance that erased some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat puts them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of Group F matches having yielded only a single point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a qualifying place.

Major Moments

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal victory over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for Albania with a well-taken volley in late added time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K continued as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

Spain maintained their dominant qualifying group run with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The result continued the European champions’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

Despite the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. Spain controlled the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece move, and his compatriot secured the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now looks their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are top on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of Israel. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on points, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot likely beckons for the Italian squad.