🔗 Share this article

Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a injury-time decisive strike in their World Cup clash against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Overview

Neves nodded in during added time to secure a 1-0 triumph, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their first three Group F matches having produced only a single point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a qualifying spot.

Major Moments

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of qualifying by picking up their first win with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided his team the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for his team with a neat volley in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the away side late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain continued their dominant qualifying group run with a comfortable victory over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result extended the title holders’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. Spain dominated the match with more than 80% possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a rout.

The scorer opened the scoring in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the second period with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

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

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now appears their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are leading on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points ahead of Israel. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot probably awaits for the Italian squad.