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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a dramatic winner in their World Cup clash against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

Neves found the net during added time to claim a slender win, several seasons after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their first three Group F matches having produced only a single point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a qualifying spot.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Group Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of advancing by securing their first win with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided his team the advantage in the first half and a teammate made sure of the points in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for his team with a well-taken volley in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant Group E run with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The win continued the European champions’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. Spain controlled the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the second period 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 comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We know what we have to do.”

Italy missed out for the last two global tournaments, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are top on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have 12 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 top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal ratio means a qualifying place probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.