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Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying clash against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during stoppage time to snatch a 1-0 win, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a gritty display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having yielded only a solitary point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a playoff spot.

Key Moments

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Group Outcomes

Group F

Hungary enhanced their hopes of qualifying by picking up their first win with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided his team the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now secure their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for Albania with a neat shot in late added time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group continued as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the away side late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their impressive qualifying group run with a comfortable victory over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The win extended the European champions’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their superiority against a Georgian team that spent most of the match defending deep. The home side dominated the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed set-piece move, and his compatriot secured the win in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy missed out for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are three points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on the table, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a qualifying place probably beckons for the Italian squad.