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Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a injury-time decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying clash against Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Overview

Neves nodded in during stoppage time to claim a narrow win, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to overcome a resilient Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F matches having yielded only a single point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a qualifying spot.

Major Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of qualifying by picking up their first win with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the advantage in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the points in second-half added time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for his team with a well-taken shot in first-half added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group persisted as they were held to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the away side late on from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Group E

Spain continued their impressive qualifying group run with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win extended the title holders’ flawless run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

Despite the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent most of the match sitting back. The home side controlled the match with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt 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 expertly taken set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the second period with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• Italy improved their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now looks their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on points, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot likely awaits for the Italian squad.