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Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a dramatic winner in their World Cup clash against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during stoppage time to claim a slender win, several seasons 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 hard-fought point, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat puts them facing elimination, with their first three Group F matches having produced only a single point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a qualifying place.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Group Results

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of qualifying by securing their first win with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for his team with a neat volley in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group continued as they were held to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Group E

Spain continued their dominant qualifying group run with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The win continued the European champions’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed most of the match sitting back. The home side controlled the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a rout.

The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece move, and his compatriot secured the victory in the second period with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach said: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their primary chance after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are three points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on points, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.