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Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during injury time to claim a slender win, four years after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them in a difficult position, with their first three qualifying group games having yielded only a solitary point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a playoff spot.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’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 the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their hopes of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, moving above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia slipped to a narrow loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken volley in first-half added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. 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 comfortable victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The win extended the title holders’ perfect run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their dominance against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. Spain controlled the match with more than 80% possession, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

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

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two global tournaments, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now looks their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway 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 ahead of their next opponents. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on points, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot probably awaits for the Italian squad.