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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a dramatic winner in their World Cup match against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder found the net during injury time to secure a narrow triumph, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

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

However, the loss leaves them in a difficult position, with their first three qualifying group games having produced only a single point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a playoff spot.

Key Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the advantage in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the points in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for his team with a neat shot in first-half added time.

Latvia struggles in Group K continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera scored for the away side late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win extended the title holders’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the absence of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. Spain controlled 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 goalkeeper their keeper preventing a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and his compatriot secured the victory in the second period with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We know what we have to do.”

Italy missed out for the last two global tournaments, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on points, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot probably awaits for the Italian squad.