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Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a injury-time decisive strike in their World Cup match against Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

Neves found the net during injury time to secure a narrow triumph, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace late on to defeat a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty display that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them facing elimination, with their first three Group F games having yielded only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a qualifying place.

Major Incidents

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck 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.

Additional Group Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their hopes of qualifying by picking up their first win with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for Albania with a neat volley in first-half added time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group persisted as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their impressive Group E run with a 2-0 win over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result continued the European champions’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent most of the match sitting back. Spain dominated the match with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a rout.

The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece move, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the second period with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach said: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We know what we have to do.”

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now looks their most likely opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive win over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.