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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

The Wolves midfielder found the net during added time to secure a slender victory, four years after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a battling performance 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 initial trio of qualifying group games having yielded only a solitary draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a qualifying place.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Results

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided his team the lead in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the points in late stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half added time.

Latvia struggles in their group persisted as they were held to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the away side late on from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Group E

Spain maintained their impressive Group E campaign with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The result continued the title holders’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed most of the match sitting back. The home side controlled the encounter with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed set-piece move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now appears their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on points, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot likely beckons for the Italian squad.