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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying clash against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

Neves nodded in during injury time to snatch a narrow win, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a battling performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them staring down the barrel, with their first three Group F games having produced only a single point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a qualifying place.

Key Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he directed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Group Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their hopes of advancing by securing their first win with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the advantage in the opening period and a teammate secured the victory in late stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for Albania with a neat volley in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group persisted as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their impressive qualifying group campaign with a comfortable victory over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The win continued the title holders’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that spent most of the match sitting back. Spain dominated the match with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece move, and his compatriot secured the win in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs 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: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or our next opponents. We know what we have to do.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six games. The Italians have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.