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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying encounter against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder headed home during injury time to claim a slender win, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them facing elimination, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having produced only a solitary point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a qualifying place.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal 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

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the lead in the first half and a teammate made sure of the victory in second-half added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken volley in late added time.

Latvia struggles in Group K continued as they were forced to a two-all 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 several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their dominant Group E run with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result extended the European champions’ flawless run in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. Spain dominated the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the second period with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and a third scorer.

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

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now looks their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are leading on 18 points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points clear of their next opponents. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.