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Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a injury-time decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying match against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder headed home during added time to claim a narrow win, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace late on to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a battling display that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them facing elimination, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having produced only a single point. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a qualifying spot.

Major Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their hopes of advancing by picking up their first win with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided his team the lead in the first half and a teammate secured the victory in late stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for Albania with a neat volley in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group persisted as they were forced to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant Group E campaign with a 2-0 win over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ flawless run in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. The home side dominated the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and his compatriot secured the win in the second period with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their most likely opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.