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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

Neves nodded in during stoppage time to secure a 1-0 victory, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice at the death to defeat a stubborn Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having produced only a solitary draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a playoff place.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes 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 lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in late added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for his team with a well-taken shot in first-half added time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant Group E campaign with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win continued the title holders’ perfect run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that passed most of the match sitting back. Spain dominated the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece move, and his compatriot secured the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach commented: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two global tournaments, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points ahead of Israel. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place likely beckons for the Italian squad.