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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a injury-time winning goal in their World Cup encounter against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

Neves found the net during stoppage time to snatch a narrow win, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them facing elimination, with their first three Group F games having produced only a solitary draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a playoff spot.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Qualifying Results

Group F

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

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for Albania with a neat volley in late added time.

Latvia struggles in Group K persisted as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group run with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result extended the title holders’ flawless record in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad demonstrated their superiority against a Georgian team that passed most of the match sitting back. The home side controlled the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken dead-ball routine, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now appears their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a qualifying place probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.