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Rúben Neves saved the day for Portugal with a injury-time winning goal in their World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Overview

Neves found the net during stoppage time to snatch a slender win, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a gritty display that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat puts them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F matches having yielded only a single point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a qualifying place.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their hopes of advancing by picking up their first win with a two-goal triumph over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the advantage in the opening period and a teammate secured the victory in second-half added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken shot in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the visitors late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their impressive qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, 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 the majority of the game 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 averting a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece move, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• Italy improved their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on points, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.