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Rúben Neves was the hero for the Portuguese side with a injury-time decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

Neves headed home during added time to secure a narrow triumph, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice late on to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a battling display that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having yielded only a single draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a qualifying place.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Group Results

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of advancing by securing their first win with a two-goal victory over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the advantage in the first half and a teammate secured the victory in late added time.

England’s Group

Serbia slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken shot in late added time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group persisted as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their dominant Group E run with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The win continued the European champions’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad demonstrated their dominance against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. Spain controlled the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed set-piece routine, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the second period with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now looks their primary chance after Norway’s 5-0 win over Israel in Group I. Norway are leading on 18 points from six games. The Italians have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points clear of Israel. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a qualifying place probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.