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Rúben Neves was the hero for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup encounter against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

Neves headed home during added time to claim a narrow victory, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to defeat a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them facing elimination, with their initial trio of Group F matches having yielded only a solitary point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a playoff place.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Results

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of advancing by securing their first win with a two-goal victory over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the lead in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the victory in late added time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome 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 difficulties in their group continued as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 win over Georgia after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The win continued the title holders’ perfect run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their dominance against a Georgia team that passed most of the match sitting back. The home side dominated the match with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and his compatriot secured the win in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now appears their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the playoffs.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a qualifying place likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.