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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

Neves headed home during stoppage time to secure a narrow triumph, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to defeat a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat puts them facing elimination, with their initial trio of Group F matches having yielded only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a playoff place.

Major 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 shot had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their chances of advancing by picking up their first win with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in late stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken shot in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K persisted as they were held to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the away side late on from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant qualifying group run with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ flawless run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. The home side controlled the match with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the second period with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other 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 boosted their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about Norway or Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two global tournaments, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now looks their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points clear of their next opponents. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on points, the Norwegians’ much better goal ratio means a qualifying place likely beckons for the Italian squad.