🔗 Share this article

Rúben Neves was the hero for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup clash against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

Neves found the net during added time to secure a narrow triumph, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace late on to defeat a resilient Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having yielded only a solitary point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a qualifying spot.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• The match-winner 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.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their hopes of qualifying by securing their first win with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the advantage in the first half and a teammate secured the victory in second-half added time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for Albania with a well-taken shot in late added time.

Latvia struggles in their group persisted as they were forced to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the visitors late on from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

Spain continued their impressive Group E campaign with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win extended the European champions’ perfect record in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. The home side dominated the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece move, and his compatriot secured the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs 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 commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two global tournaments, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their primary opportunity after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six games. The Italians have twelve points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on points, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.