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Rúben Neves was the hero for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winner in their World Cup qualifying clash against Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

Neves found the net during injury time to snatch a 1-0 victory, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a gritty display that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having yielded only a solitary draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a playoff spot.

Major Incidents

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their chances of advancing by securing their first win with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave his team the advantage in the first half and a teammate made sure of the victory in late added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for his team with a neat volley in first-half added time.

Latvia difficulties in their group continued as they were forced to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant qualifying group campaign with a comfortable win over Georgia after goals from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result extended the European champions’ flawless run in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad demonstrated their dominance against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. Spain dominated the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili 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 second period with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy missed out for the last two World Cups, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over Israel in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are three points ahead of Israel. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly 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 overtake the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely beckons for the Italian squad.