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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup clash against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

Neves nodded in during injury time to snatch a narrow victory, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to overcome a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a battling performance that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having yielded only a solitary draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team boosted their hopes of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

Serbia slipped to a 1-0 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 only goal for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their impressive qualifying group run with a comfortable victory over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ perfect run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed most of the match defending deep. Spain dominated the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed set-piece move, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 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 Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now appears their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are top on eighteen points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are three points clear of Israel. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage.

Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on points, the Norwegians’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.