🔗 Share this article

Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a injury-time winner in their World Cup qualifying encounter against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

Neves headed home during injury time to claim a narrow win, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat puts them staring down the barrel, with their first three Group F matches having yielded only a solitary draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a qualifying place.

Major Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Results

Group F

Hungary enhanced their chances of qualifying by picking up their first win with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into second place behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for his team with a neat shot in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group continued as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the away side late on 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 comfortable win over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The result extended the title holders’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that spent most of the match sitting back. The home side controlled the encounter with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed set-piece move, and his compatriot secured the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now looks their primary opportunity after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.