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Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winner in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had saved a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

Neves found the net during stoppage time to claim a 1-0 triumph, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice late on to defeat a stubborn Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a battling performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them staring down the barrel, with their first three Group F matches having yielded only a single point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a playoff place.

Major Incidents

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Results

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of qualifying by picking up their first win with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the lead in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the victory in second-half added time.

England’s Group

Serbia slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Group E

Spain maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result continued the European champions’ perfect run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, 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 the majority of the game defending deep. Spain controlled the match with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a rout.

The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points clear of their next opponents. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure second spot and, while they can still mathematically overtake the group leaders on the table, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.