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Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during injury time to snatch a 1-0 win, four years after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a battling performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss leaves them staring down the barrel, with their first three qualifying group matches having yielded only a solitary point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a playoff spot.

Key Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit an Irish defender’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 Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Results

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of qualifying by picking up their first win with a two-goal victory over Armenia, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in late added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for his team with a well-taken volley in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group persisted as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the visitors late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their impressive Group E run with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The result extended the European champions’ perfect run in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad demonstrated their superiority against a Georgian team that passed most of the match defending deep. The home side dominated the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece move, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the second period with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Other Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their most likely opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are top on eighteen points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage.

Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.