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

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during stoppage time to claim a 1-0 triumph, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss leaves them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of Group F games having yielded only a single point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a qualifying spot.

Major Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Group Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of qualifying by securing their first win with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in late stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia slipped to a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for his team with a neat shot in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their impressive Group E run with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win extended the European champions’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. Spain controlled the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two World Cups, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now appears their primary chance after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage.

Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place probably beckons for the Italian squad.