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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a dramatic winner in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during injury time to claim a 1-0 win, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to overcome a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a gritty display 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 Group F matches having yielded only a single point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a playoff spot.

Key Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty 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 first minute of stoppage time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Group Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their chances of advancing by securing their first win with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the lead in the first half and a teammate secured the points in second-half added time.

Group K

Serbia 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 defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken shot in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group continued as they were held to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant Group E campaign with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad demonstrated their superiority against a Georgian team that passed most of the match sitting back. The home side controlled the match with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the second period with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two World Cups, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s 5-0 win over Israel in their qualifying group. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the playoffs.

Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely beckons for the Italian squad.