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Rúben Neves was the hero for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup match against Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

Neves headed home during stoppage time to secure a 1-0 win, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of honor with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them in a difficult position, with their first three qualifying group matches having yielded only a solitary point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Group Results

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of advancing by picking up their first win with a two-goal victory over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken shot in late added time.

Latvia struggles in Group K persisted as they were forced to a two-all draw 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 run with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result extended the European champions’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. Spain dominated the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about Norway or Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two World Cups, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are three points ahead of Israel. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ much better goal ratio means a qualifying place likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.