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Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a injury-time winner in their World Cup qualifying encounter against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during added time to claim a narrow win, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them facing elimination, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having yielded only a solitary draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a playoff place.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Results

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their hopes of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the advantage in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the points in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for Albania with a neat shot in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K continued as they were held to a two-all draw at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant qualifying group campaign with a comfortable victory over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The win continued the title holders’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent most of the match defending deep. The home side dominated the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the second period with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over Israel in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six games. The Italians have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot likely awaits for the Italian squad.