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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying match against Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder headed home during injury time to claim a 1-0 triumph, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a battling performance that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having produced only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a qualifying spot.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Group Results

Group F

Hungary enhanced their hopes of advancing by securing their first win with a two-goal victory over Armenia, moving above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in late added time.

England’s Group

Serbia slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for Albania with a well-taken shot in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K persisted as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain continued their dominant qualifying group run with a comfortable win over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The win extended the title holders’ flawless run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three matches 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 dominance against a Georgia team that spent most of the match sitting back. Spain controlled the match with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the second period with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now appears their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement 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 qualifying place probably awaits for the Italian squad.