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Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup clash against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had denied a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

Neves found the net during stoppage time to claim a 1-0 victory, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat puts them facing elimination, with their initial trio of Group F matches having yielded only a single point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a playoff place.

Key Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Group Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their chances of advancing by securing their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the lead in the first half and a teammate made sure of the points in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia struggles in their group continued as they were held to a two-all draw at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the away side late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group run with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The result continued the title holders’ flawless run in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that spent most of the match sitting back. The home side dominated the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach said: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We know what we have to do.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now appears their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.