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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup encounter against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during stoppage time to snatch a narrow triumph, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a gritty performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them staring down the barrel, with their first three Group F games having yielded only a solitary point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a qualifying place.

Key Moments

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their hopes of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided his team the advantage in the first half and a teammate made sure of the victory in late added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for Albania with a neat shot in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in their group continued as they were held to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the away side late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their impressive qualifying group run with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win continued the title holders’ flawless record in qualifying, having scored eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent most of the match defending deep. Spain dominated the match with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two global tournaments, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now appears their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over Israel in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.