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Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a dramatic winner in their World Cup qualifying encounter against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

Neves headed home during stoppage time to claim a 1-0 win, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a battling display that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them in a difficult position, with their first three qualifying group games having yielded only a solitary draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a qualifying place.

Key Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

Hungary enhanced their hopes of advancing by picking up their first win with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the lead in the opening period and a teammate secured the points in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken shot in late added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the visitors late on from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Group E

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

In spite of the absence 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 spent most of the match sitting back. The home side dominated the match with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece move, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

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

Italy missed out for the previous two World Cups, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now looks their primary chance after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on the table, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a qualifying place probably awaits for the Italian squad.