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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winning goal in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

Neves nodded in during added time to snatch a slender win, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a gritty display that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them staring down the barrel, with their first three Group F matches having yielded only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a qualifying spot.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Group Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their first win with a two-goal victory over Armenia, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a narrow loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for his team with a neat shot in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia struggles in Group K persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their impressive qualifying group run with a comfortable win over Georgia after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The result continued the European champions’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad 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 Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• Italy improved their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six games. The Italians have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia stay in fourth place 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 Israel on Tuesday, where a win would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake the group leaders on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.