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Rúben Neves was the hero for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during stoppage time to secure a 1-0 triumph, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a battling performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat puts them facing elimination, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having produced only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a playoff spot.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their first win with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in late stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for Albania with a neat shot in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K continued as they were forced to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the visitors late on from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their impressive qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result continued the title holders’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. The home side controlled the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the second period with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the scorers.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are three points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

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