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Rúben Neves saved the day for Portugal with a injury-time winner in their World Cup clash against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during stoppage time to claim a narrow victory, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice late on to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of honor with a gritty display that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their first three Group F matches having yielded only a single point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a playoff place.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Group Results

Group F

Hungary enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their first win with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in late stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for Albania with a neat volley in late added time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K continued as they were forced to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their impressive Group E campaign with a 2-0 win over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result continued the European champions’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their superiority against a Georgian team that spent most of the match sitting back. Spain dominated the match with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the second period with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

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

The Azzurri missed out for the last two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now looks their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on points, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely beckons for the Italian squad.