🔗 Share this article

Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying clash against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during injury time to snatch a 1-0 triumph, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to defeat a resilient Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a significant amount of honor with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat puts them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of Group F matches having yielded only a single draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a playoff spot.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their chances of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K continued as they were held to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the visitors late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their impressive Group E run with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win continued the European champions’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad demonstrated their dominance against a Georgian team that spent most of the match sitting back. Spain dominated the match with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece move, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary chance after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on points, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a qualifying place probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.