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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a injury-time decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

Neves nodded in during added time to secure a narrow triumph, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their initial trio of Group F matches having produced only a solitary draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a playoff spot.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their hopes of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave his team the lead in the opening period and a teammate secured the victory in late stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for Albania with a neat volley in late stoppage time.

Latvia struggles in Group K persisted as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant Group E run with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The win continued the title holders’ perfect record in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. The home side controlled the encounter with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed set-piece move, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the second period with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s a young talent was among the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach commented: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy missed out for the previous two global tournaments, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their most likely opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive win 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 Israel. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.