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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup qualifying encounter against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during added time to claim a slender triumph, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to defeat a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a battling display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their first three qualifying group games having yielded only a solitary draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a qualifying place.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their chances of qualifying by picking up their first win with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the advantage in the opening period and a teammate secured the points in late added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now secure their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for his team with a neat shot in first-half added time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain continued their impressive qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win continued the European champions’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent most of the match defending deep. The home side dominated the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now looks their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

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