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

Match Summary

Neves nodded in during stoppage time to snatch a slender victory, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

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

Key Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Group Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their chances of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken volley in late added time.

Latvia difficulties in their group persisted as they were held to a two-all draw at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their impressive Group E run with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win extended the European champions’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of key figures 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 Georgia team that passed most of the match sitting back. Spain controlled the match with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the second period with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach commented: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now looks their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are leading on 18 points from six games. The Italians have twelve 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 second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a qualifying place likely beckons for the Italian squad.