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Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup encounter against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during stoppage time to claim a 1-0 victory, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a battling performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss puts them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F matches having produced only a single draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a playoff spot.

Major Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’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 the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of qualifying by picking up their first win with a two-goal triumph over Armenia, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the lead in the opening period and a teammate secured the victory in second-half added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning England can now secure their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for Albania with a well-taken shot in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K continued as they were held to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

Spain maintained their impressive qualifying group run with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The result extended the European champions’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. Spain controlled the match with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece move, and his compatriot secured the win in the second period with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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

Italy missed out for the previous two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary chance after Norway’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain 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.

Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place probably beckons for the Italian squad.