🔗 Share this article

Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a injury-time winner in their World Cup match against Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during added time to secure a 1-0 victory, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to defeat a resilient Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having yielded only a solitary draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a qualifying spot.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Group Results

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in second-half added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal 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 draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

Spain maintained their dominant Group E campaign with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The win continued the European champions’ perfect run in qualifying, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. Spain controlled the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the second period with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Other Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least reaching 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.

The Italian coach commented: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are three points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch the group leaders on points, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.