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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a injury-time winner in their World Cup clash against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder found the net during stoppage time to claim a slender victory, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss leaves them facing elimination, with their first three Group F games having yielded only a single draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Key Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of stoppage time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of advancing by securing their first win with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for his team with a well-taken volley in late added time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group persisted as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their dominant Group E campaign with a 2-0 win over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win extended the title holders’ flawless run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad demonstrated their superiority against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. Spain dominated the encounter 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 averting a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece move, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy missed out for the previous two World Cups, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now looks their most likely chance after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team face Israel 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 playoff spot probably awaits for the Italian squad.