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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

Neves found the net during stoppage time to snatch a narrow triumph, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice at the death to defeat a resilient Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them in a difficult position, with their first three Group F matches having yielded only a single point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a playoff spot.

Key Moments

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

Other Group Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of qualifying by securing their first win with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave his team the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in late added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for Albania with a well-taken shot in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group continued as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim 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 impressive qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result continued the European champions’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent most of the match sitting back. Spain controlled the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the second period with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in their section. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• 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 a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy missed out for the previous two World Cups, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now looks their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on 18 points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage.

Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably awaits for the Italian squad.