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Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup clash against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during added time to secure a slender win, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty performance that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F games having yielded only a single draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a playoff spot.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their hopes of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided his team the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in second-half added time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for his team with a neat shot in late added time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K persisted as they were held to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant Group E run with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that passed most of the match sitting back. The home side dominated the match with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the second period with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are top on eighteen 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 remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners 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 the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on points, the Norwegians’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot probably awaits for the Italian squad.