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

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder headed home during injury time to secure a narrow triumph, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of Group F matches having yielded only a single draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a qualifying place.

Key Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances 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 Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the advantage in the first half and a teammate secured the victory in late stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for Albania with a neat shot in late added time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K continued as they were held to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Group E

Spain continued their impressive Group E campaign with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result continued the title holders’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent most of the match defending deep. Spain dominated the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball move, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now looks their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over Israel in Group I. Norway are leading on 18 points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points clear of their next opponents. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the playoffs.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.