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

Game Overview

Neves nodded in during added time to snatch a 1-0 triumph, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace late on to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a significant amount of honor with a gritty performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their first three Group F matches having produced only a single point. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a qualifying spot.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the advantage in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the points in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K continued as they were held to a two-all draw at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their impressive qualifying group run with a comfortable win over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The result extended the European champions’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed 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 generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock 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 saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, another attacker, 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 last two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now appears their most likely opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in Group I. 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 Israel. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on points, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely awaits for the Italian squad.