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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a injury-time winner in their World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

Neves found the net during injury time to claim a slender triumph, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to defeat a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a battling display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them facing elimination, with their initial trio of Group F matches having produced only a single point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a playoff spot.

Major Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Group Outcomes

Group F

Hungary enhanced their hopes of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in late added time.

England’s Group

Serbia slipped to a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for his team with a neat shot in late added time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K persisted as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group run with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ perfect run in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three games without conceding.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. Spain controlled the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and his compatriot secured the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable victory away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now looks their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

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