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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup encounter against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during added time to claim a slender triumph, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a battling performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F matches having produced only a solitary draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Major Incidents

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their hopes of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the advantage in the opening period and a teammate secured the points in late added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for his team with a neat shot in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group persisted as they were held to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Group E

Spain maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a comfortable win over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The result extended the European champions’ perfect record in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. Spain dominated the match with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now looks their most likely opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are top on 18 points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the playoffs.

Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.