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Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup match against Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had denied a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

Neves found the net during stoppage time to snatch a slender victory, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a significant amount of honor with a gritty display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having produced only a solitary draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a qualifying place.

Major Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Results

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their hopes of advancing by picking up their first win with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into second place behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken volley in late stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K 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 late on from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant Group E campaign with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The win continued the European champions’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent most of the match defending deep. The home side controlled the encounter with more than 80% possession, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece routine, and his compatriot secured the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso 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 falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place likely beckons for the Italian squad.