🔗 Share this article

Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder headed home during stoppage time to claim a slender win, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a significant amount of honor with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat puts them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of Group F games having produced only a solitary draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a qualifying place.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in second-half added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for Albania with a neat shot in first-half stoppage time.

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

Group E

Spain maintained their dominant Group E run with a comfortable win over Georgia after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The win continued the title holders’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad demonstrated their dominance against a Georgian team that passed most of the match defending deep. The home side dominated the match with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

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

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now looks their primary opportunity after Norway’s 5-0 win over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably awaits for the Italian squad.