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Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a dramatic winner in their World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder headed home during added time to snatch a 1-0 triumph, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice late on to defeat a stubborn Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a gritty display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of Group F games having yielded only a solitary point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a qualifying spot.

Key Moments

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Results

Group F

Hungary enhanced their hopes of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in late added time.

Group K

Serbia slipped to a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for his team with a neat volley in late stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K persisted as they were forced to a two-all draw at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their impressive Group E run with a 2-0 win over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result continued the European champions’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad demonstrated their dominance against a Georgia team that spent most of the match sitting back. The home side controlled the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and his compatriot secured the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.