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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup clash against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during injury time to claim a 1-0 win, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a resilient Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a battling display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them facing elimination, with their first three Group F matches having produced only a single draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a playoff spot.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Group Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their chances of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the opening period and a teammate secured the victory in second-half added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for his team with a neat shot in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their dominant Group E campaign with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win extended the European champions’ perfect run in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. The home side dominated the match with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball move, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the second period with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy missed out for the last two global tournaments, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now looks their most likely chance after Norway’s 5-0 win over Israel in Group I. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are three points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.