🔗 Share this article

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

Game Overview

The Wolves midfielder headed home during injury time to snatch a narrow win, several seasons after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having yielded only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a playoff place.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their chances of qualifying by securing their first win with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in second-half added time.

England’s Group

Serbia slipped to a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for his team with a neat volley in first-half added time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group continued as they were forced to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant Group E campaign with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win continued the European champions’ perfect record in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent most of the match defending deep. The home side controlled the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a rout.

The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was one of the scorers.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach said: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We know what we have to do.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now appears their primary opportunity after Norway’s 5-0 win over Israel in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on 18 points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points clear of their next opponents. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place likely beckons for the Italian squad.