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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a injury-time winner in their World Cup match against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during added time to secure a narrow triumph, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a gritty display that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat puts them facing elimination, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having produced only a single point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a playoff spot.

Major Moments

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Group Results

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the advantage in the opening period and a teammate secured the victory in late added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken volley in late stoppage time.

Latvia struggles in Group K persisted as they were held to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant Group E run with a comfortable victory over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The win extended the title holders’ perfect record in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that spent most of the match defending deep. The home side controlled the match 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.

The scorer opened the scoring in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and his compatriot secured the victory in the second period with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach commented: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now looks their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on points, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a qualifying place probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.