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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup qualifying match against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder found the net during added time to secure a narrow victory, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F matches having yielded only a single draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a playoff place.

Key Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Results

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over Armenia, moving above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave his team the advantage in the first half and a teammate secured the victory in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera scored for the away side late on from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The win extended the title holders’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad demonstrated their superiority against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. The home side controlled 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 Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing 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 64th minute with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory 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 Norway or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their primary opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors 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 qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place likely awaits for the Italian squad.