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Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winner in their World Cup match against Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during injury time to secure a narrow victory, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a battling display that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them facing elimination, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having produced only a single draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a qualifying spot.

Key Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck 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.

Other Group Results

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of advancing by picking up their first win with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in late stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken volley in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K persisted as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

Spain continued their impressive Group E run with a comfortable victory over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The result extended the title holders’ flawless record in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad demonstrated their superiority against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. Spain controlled the match with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the second period with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy missed out for the previous two global tournaments, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are top on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically overtake the group leaders on points, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot probably awaits for the Italian squad.