🔗 Share this article

Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winning goal in their World Cup match against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

Neves headed home during added time to claim a slender victory, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to overcome a resilient Irish side.

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

However, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of Group F games having yielded only a single draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a playoff spot.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of qualifying by securing their first win with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave his team the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for Albania with a neat volley in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K persisted as they were held to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant qualifying group campaign with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The win extended the title holders’ perfect run in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three games without conceding.

Despite the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side 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 possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed set-piece move, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now appears their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points clear of Israel. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the playoffs.

Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.