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Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying clash against Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

Neves found the net during added time to snatch a narrow victory, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice at the death to defeat a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss leaves them facing elimination, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having produced only a solitary draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a qualifying place.

Key Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Group Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken shot in first-half added time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group continued as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their impressive qualifying group campaign with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result continued the European champions’ perfect record in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes 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 showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that passed most of the match defending deep. Spain controlled the match with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the second period with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now looks their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on points, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.