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Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had saved a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

Neves nodded in during injury time to snatch a 1-0 triumph, several seasons after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a battling display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them in a difficult position, with their first three Group F games having produced only a single point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a qualifying spot.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• 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 Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of qualifying by securing their first win with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

Serbia slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for Albania with a neat shot in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group continued as they were held to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Group E

Spain continued their dominant Group E run with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win continued the European champions’ perfect record in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their superiority against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. The home side controlled the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in their section. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the scorers.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now appears their primary opportunity after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points ahead of Israel. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place probably awaits for the Italian squad.