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

Game Summary

Neves nodded in during stoppage time to snatch a slender win, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a gritty display that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them facing elimination, with their first three Group F matches having yielded only a solitary point. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a qualifying spot.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Group Results

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into second place behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided his team the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning England can now secure their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for his team with a neat shot in late stoppage time.

Latvia struggles in their group persisted as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the visitors late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group run with a 2-0 win over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The win continued the title holders’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. Spain dominated the match with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and his compatriot secured the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now looks their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are three points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on points, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.