🔗 Share this article

Rúben Neves was the hero for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winner in their World Cup clash against Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had denied a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

The Wolves midfielder headed home during injury time to snatch a 1-0 victory, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to defeat a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss leaves them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having produced only a solitary point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a playoff place.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Results

Group F

Hungary boosted their chances of advancing by picking up their first win with a two-goal victory over Armenia, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the advantage in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the victory in late stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal 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 continued as they were forced to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the away side late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their impressive Group E campaign with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win extended the title holders’ flawless record in qualifying, having scored eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their dominance against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. The home side controlled the encounter 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 their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the second period with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy missed out for the last two World Cups, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of Israel. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the playoffs.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.