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Rúben Neves saved the day for Portugal with a injury-time decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying match against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder headed home during injury time to claim a 1-0 triumph, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them facing elimination, with their initial trio of Group F matches having yielded only a solitary point. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a qualifying spot.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a two-goal victory over Armenia, moving above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in second-half added time.

Group K

Serbia slipped to a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for his team with a neat shot in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K persisted as they were forced to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

Spain continued their dominant Group E campaign with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The result extended the European champions’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their superiority against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. Spain controlled the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece routine, and his compatriot secured the win in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other Scores

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• Italy 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.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy missed out for the previous two global tournaments, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch the group leaders on points, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a qualifying place probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.