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Rúben Neves saved the day for Portugal with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying clash against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

Neves headed home during added time to claim a 1-0 victory, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their first three qualifying group games having produced only a single point. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a playoff spot.

Major Moments

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of advancing by picking up their first win with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for his team with a neat shot in first-half added time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the visitors late on from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant qualifying group campaign with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The win extended the title holders’ perfect record in qualifying, having scored eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. The home side controlled the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s a young talent was among the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy missed out for the previous two World Cups, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now looks their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably awaits for the Italian squad.