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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winner in their World Cup match against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

Neves headed home during injury time to claim a slender victory, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice at the death to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a battling performance that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

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

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Group Results

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of advancing by picking up their first win with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided his team the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now secure their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken shot in late stoppage time.

Latvia struggles in Group K persisted as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the away side late on from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant Group E campaign with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win continued the title holders’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad demonstrated their superiority against a Georgia team that spent most of the match sitting back. Spain dominated the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the second period with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or our next opponents. We know 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 appears their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in Group I. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points ahead of Israel. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.