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Rúben Neves was the hero for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winner in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during added time to snatch a 1-0 victory, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice late on to defeat a stubborn Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a gritty display that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F games having produced only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a playoff spot.

Key Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Group Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of qualifying by securing their first win with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the advantage in the first half and a teammate secured the points in second-half added time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for Albania with a neat volley in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia struggles in their group 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 initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their impressive qualifying group campaign with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ flawless run in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad demonstrated their superiority against a Georgian team that spent most of the match sitting back. The home side controlled the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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

Italy missed out for the last two World Cups, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now appears their primary opportunity after Norway’s 5-0 win over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of Israel. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch the group leaders on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.