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Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winner in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

The Wolves midfielder headed home during added time to snatch a 1-0 triumph, four years after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

However, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of Group F matches having yielded only a single point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved 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 added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Group Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their chances of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the lead in the opening period and a teammate secured the victory in second-half added time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning England can now secure their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for his team with a neat volley in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group persisted as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain continued their dominant Group E run with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win extended the title holders’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. Spain dominated the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the second period with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now appears their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over Israel in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are three points ahead of Israel. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on points, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place likely beckons for the Italian squad.