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Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

The Wolves midfielder found the net during stoppage time to snatch a narrow victory, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to overcome a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a battling display that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them facing elimination, with their first three Group F games having produced 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 Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he directed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Qualifying Results

Group F

Hungary boosted their chances of advancing by picking up their first win with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, moving above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the advantage in the first half and a teammate secured the points in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning England can now secure their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for Albania with a neat volley in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Group E

Spain maintained their dominant Group E run with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ perfect record in qualifying, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that passed most of the match defending deep. Spain controlled the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken dead-ball routine, and his compatriot secured the win in the second period with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two global tournaments, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are three points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a qualifying place likely beckons for the Italian squad.