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Rúben Neves saved the day for Portugal with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

Neves nodded in during injury time to snatch a slender win, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to defeat a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a battling display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of Group F games having yielded only a solitary point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a playoff place.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their chances of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the advantage in the first half and a teammate made sure of the victory in late added time.

Group K

Serbia slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half added time.

Latvia difficulties in their group continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their impressive qualifying group campaign with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The win continued the title holders’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed most of the match defending deep. Spain dominated the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the second period with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. 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 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over Israel in Group I. Norway are leading on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on points, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.