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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup match against Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

Neves found the net during added time to secure a narrow triumph, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to defeat a resilient Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them facing elimination, with their initial trio of Group F matches having yielded only a solitary point. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a playoff spot.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of stoppage time when he directed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Group Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the first half and a teammate secured the points in second-half added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken volley in late stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win extended the title holders’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. The home side controlled the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and his compatriot secured the win in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

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

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now looks their most likely chance after Norway’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are three points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.