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Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Summary

Neves found the net during injury time to claim a 1-0 win, four years after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the defeat 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 playoff spot.

Key Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their chances of qualifying by picking up their first win with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided his team the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in second-half added time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for Albania with a neat shot in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia struggles in their group persisted as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the visitors late on from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Group E

Spain maintained their dominant Group E campaign with a comfortable win over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The win continued the European champions’ perfect run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. The home side dominated the match with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and his compatriot secured the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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

Italy missed out for the previous two World Cups, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now appears their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place likely beckons for the Italian squad.