🔗 Share this article

Rúben Neves was the hero for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying encounter against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

Neves nodded in during injury time to claim a slender victory, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring 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 leaves them staring down the barrel, with their first three Group F games having yielded only a single point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in late stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for his team with a neat shot in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in their group continued as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Group E

Spain continued their dominant Group E campaign with a 2-0 win over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win continued the title holders’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad demonstrated their superiority against a Georgia team that passed most of the match defending deep. The home side dominated the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach said: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are top on eighteen points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

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