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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying encounter against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during added time to snatch a slender victory, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to overcome a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat puts them in a difficult position, with their first three Group F games having yielded only a single draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a qualifying spot.

Major Moments

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Results

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of advancing by securing their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over Armenia, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the advantage in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the points in late added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken shot in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their dominant qualifying group run with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker 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 unavailability of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed most of the match defending deep. Spain dominated the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken dead-ball routine, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the second period with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or Israel. We know what we have to do.”

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on 18 points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are three points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage.

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 Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.