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Rúben Neves saved the day for Portugal with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying clash against Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder found the net during injury time to snatch a narrow win, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to defeat a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a battling performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them staring down the barrel, with their first three Group F games having yielded only a solitary draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a qualifying spot.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Group Results

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes 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 his team the advantage in the opening period and a teammate secured the points in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken shot in first-half 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 earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

Spain maintained their dominant Group E campaign with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win extended the title holders’ perfect record in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

Despite the absence of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. Spain dominated the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken dead-ball routine, and his compatriot secured the win in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on 18 points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place likely awaits for the Italian squad.