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Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winning goal in their World Cup encounter against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during added time to claim a narrow triumph, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace late on to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a battling display that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of Group F matches having produced only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a playoff place.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Group Results

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of qualifying by picking up their first win with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided his team the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for Albania with a neat volley in late added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K persisted as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The win continued the title holders’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. The home side dominated the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and his compatriot secured the victory in the second period with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

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

Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.