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Rúben Neves saved the day for Portugal with a injury-time decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder headed home during injury time to claim a narrow victory, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

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

Nevertheless, the loss puts them staring down the barrel, with their first three qualifying group matches having produced only a single point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a qualifying spot.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Group Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their hopes of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave his team the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in late added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for his team with a well-taken volley in late added time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K continued as they were forced to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain continued their impressive Group E run with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The win extended the European champions’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

Despite the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad demonstrated their superiority against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. The home side controlled the match with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the second period with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. 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 a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now looks their most likely opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points clear of Israel. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.