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Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a injury-time winner in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during added time to secure a 1-0 win, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to defeat a resilient Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them staring down the barrel, with their first three qualifying group matches having produced only a single point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a playoff place.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly 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 added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their hopes of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a two-goal victory over Armenia, moving above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the lead in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the points in second-half added time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for Albania with a well-taken shot in first-half added time.

Latvia struggles in their group persisted as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net 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.

Group E

Spain continued their impressive qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after goals from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result continued the title holders’ flawless record in qualifying, having scored eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

In spite of the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. Spain dominated the match with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper 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 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two World Cups, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their primary opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points clear 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 entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on points, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.