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Rúben Neves was the hero for the Portuguese side with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying match against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had saved a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

Neves nodded in during added time to snatch a 1-0 triumph, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to overcome a resilient Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having yielded only a single point. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Major Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in second-half added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken shot in first-half added time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K continued as they were forced to a 2-2 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 qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

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 his teammate in the match venue. The result continued the title holders’ perfect record in qualifying, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that spent most of the match defending deep. Spain controlled the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a rout.

The scorer opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the second period with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now looks their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are top on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up entering 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 overtake the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.