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Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

Neves headed home during injury time to claim a 1-0 victory, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace late on to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their first three Group F matches having yielded only a single draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Key Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Group Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their hopes of advancing by picking up their first win with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their rivals into second place behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in late stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for Albania with a neat volley in late stoppage time.

Latvia struggles in Group K continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the visitors late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The win extended the title holders’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed most of the match sitting back. Spain controlled the match with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece move, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two World Cups, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides 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 theoretically catch Norway on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.