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Rúben Neves saved the day for Portugal with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup match against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during added time to secure a 1-0 win, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them facing elimination, with their first three Group F games having produced only a solitary draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a qualifying spot.

Major Moments

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team boosted their hopes of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a narrow loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for Albania with a neat shot in late stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in their group continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera scored for the away side late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their dominant Group E run with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win continued the European champions’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed most of the match sitting back. The home side dominated the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the second period with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory 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 goal-getters.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least making 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 commented: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on points, the Norwegians’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.