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Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had saved a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Summary

Neves nodded in during injury time to claim a narrow triumph, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them in a difficult position, with their first three Group F matches having produced only a single point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a playoff place.

Key Moments

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the first minute of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of advancing by picking up their first win with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the lead in the first half and a teammate secured the victory in late stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for Albania with a well-taken shot in late added time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K persisted as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group run with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The result extended the European champions’ perfect record in qualifying, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad demonstrated their dominance against a Georgia team that spent most of the match sitting back. The home side controlled the match with more than 80% possession, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the second period with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive 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 a trio of points ahead of Israel. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure second spot and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.