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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a injury-time winner in their World Cup match against Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

Neves found the net during stoppage time to claim a slender triumph, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a significant amount of honor with a battling display that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of Group F matches having produced only a single draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a playoff place.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves 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 Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their chances of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the advantage in the first half and a teammate secured the victory in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for Albania with a well-taken shot in late 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 scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their impressive qualifying group campaign with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result extended the title holders’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. The home side dominated the encounter with more than 80% possession, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now appears their primary chance after Norway’s comprehensive win over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on points, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.