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Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a injury-time winner in their World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during injury time to secure a narrow triumph, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a battling display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their first three Group F games having yielded only a single draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Key Moments

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Results

Group F

Hungary boosted their chances of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal victory over Armenia, moving above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in late added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning England can now seal their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half added time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group continued as they were forced to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

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

In spite of the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their superiority against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. Spain dominated the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed set-piece routine, and his compatriot secured the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

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

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two global tournaments, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now appears their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have twelve 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 top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

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