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Rúben Neves was the hero for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winner in their World Cup encounter against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during added time to claim a narrow triumph, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to defeat a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a battling display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them facing elimination, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having produced only a single draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their first win with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the lead in the first half and a teammate secured the points in second-half added time.

Group K

Serbia slipped to a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for Albania with a neat volley in first-half added time.

Latvia struggles in Group K continued as they were held to a two-all draw at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors late on from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result extended the title holders’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that spent most of the match defending deep. The home side controlled the match with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the second period with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• Italy improved their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach said: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary opportunity after Norway’s 5-0 win over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the playoffs.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on the table, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.