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Rúben Neves was the hero for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup clash against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

Neves headed home during added time to snatch a slender triumph, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F matches having produced only a single draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a playoff place.

Major Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

Hungary enhanced their hopes of advancing by securing their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now seal 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.

Latvia difficulties in their group continued as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the visitors late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain continued their impressive qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win extended the European champions’ flawless run in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability 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 dominance against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. Spain dominated the match with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and his compatriot secured the victory in the second period with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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 falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The top teams 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 cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place probably beckons for the Italian squad.