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

Match Summary

Neves found the net during stoppage time to claim a slender triumph, four years after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a gritty display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F games having produced only a solitary draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a playoff spot.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Results

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of advancing by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

Serbia slipped to a 1-0 defeat 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 scored the only goal for Albania with a well-taken shot in late added time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Group E

Spain continued their impressive Group E campaign with a comfortable win over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win extended the European champions’ perfect record in qualifying, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. Spain controlled the match with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed set-piece routine, and his compatriot secured the win in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

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

Italy missed out for the previous two global tournaments, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their primary chance after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a game in hand on their rivals and are three points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot probably awaits for the Italian squad.