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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a injury-time winning goal in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had saved a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Game Summary

Neves headed home during stoppage time to snatch a 1-0 triumph, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice at the death to defeat a resilient Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a battling performance that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F games having yielded only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a qualifying spot.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Results

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into second place behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in late stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for Albania with a neat volley in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

Spain maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a comfortable win over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result continued the title holders’ perfect record in qualifying, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. The home side dominated the match with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball routine, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• Italy improved their prospects of at least making 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: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two global tournaments, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now looks their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over Israel in Group I. Norway are top on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a win would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.