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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a injury-time decisive strike in their World Cup clash against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during injury time to snatch a 1-0 triumph, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a battling display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having yielded only a single point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a playoff place.

Major Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Results

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of advancing by picking up their first win with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the lead in the opening period and a teammate secured the points in second-half added time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for his team with a well-taken volley in late added time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K continued as they were held to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the away side late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

Spain continued their dominant qualifying group campaign with a comfortable victory over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win continued the title holders’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. Spain controlled the encounter with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was among the goal-getters.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now appears their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. Norway are top on 18 points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, 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 the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot likely awaits for the Italian squad.