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Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder headed home during stoppage time to snatch a 1-0 triumph, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a gritty display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F matches having yielded only a solitary point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a playoff place.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Group Results

Group F

Hungary enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their first win with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave his team the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory 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 result meaning England can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for Albania with a neat volley in first-half added time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors late on from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The result extended the European champions’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that passed most of the match sitting back. Spain controlled the match with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other 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 among the scorers.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now appears their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points ahead 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 victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.