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Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying match against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

Neves nodded in during added time to claim a narrow victory, four years after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat puts them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having yielded only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a qualifying spot.

Major Incidents

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Group Results

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal victory over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave his team the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in late added time.

England’s Group

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 their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half stoppage time.

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

Group E

Spain continued their impressive qualifying group run with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result continued the title holders’ flawless record in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that passed most of the match defending deep. The home side dominated the match with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and his compatriot secured the win in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• 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. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable victory away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary chance after Norway’s 5-0 win over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.