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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup clash against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during stoppage time to secure a 1-0 triumph, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a battling display that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them in a difficult position, with their first three qualifying group games having yielded only a single point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their hopes of advancing by picking up their first win with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the lead in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the points in second-half added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for Albania with a well-taken volley in late stoppage time.

Latvia struggles in their group continued as they were forced to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain continued their impressive Group E run with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win continued the title holders’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. Spain controlled the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball routine, and his compatriot secured the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are top on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch the group leaders on the table, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.