🔗 Share this article

Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a dramatic winner in their World Cup match against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder found the net during injury time to secure a narrow triumph, several seasons after the star striker had bagged a brace late on to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of honor with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat puts them facing elimination, with their first three qualifying group games having produced only a solitary point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a playoff spot.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Results

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in second-half added 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 seal their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for Albania with a neat shot in late added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K continued as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their dominant Group E run with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result continued the title holders’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. Spain dominated the encounter with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the second period with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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

Italy missed out for the last two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their primary opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on the table, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.