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Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a injury-time winning goal in their World Cup clash against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

The Wolves midfielder found the net during stoppage time to secure a narrow triumph, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a stubborn 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 honor with a battling performance that erased some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having produced only a solitary draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a qualifying place.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned 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.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of advancing by securing their first win with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in late added time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal 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 difficulties in their group continued as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant Group E campaign with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result continued the European champions’ perfect record in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. Spain controlled the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 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 improved their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or our next opponents. We know what we have to do.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over Israel 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 three points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.