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Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup encounter against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

The Wolves midfielder found the net during stoppage time to claim a slender triumph, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of honor with a gritty display that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them facing elimination, with their initial trio of Group F games having produced only a single draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a qualifying place.

Major Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their chances of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in late added time.

Group K

Serbia slipped to a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for his team with a neat shot in late added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group persisted as they were held to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their impressive qualifying group 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 run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad demonstrated their superiority against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. The home side controlled the encounter with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed set-piece routine, and his compatriot secured the win in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Results

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the scorers.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least making the knockout stage 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 Norway or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy missed out for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their primary opportunity after Norway’s 5-0 win over Israel in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the playoffs.

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