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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying match against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during stoppage time to secure a slender victory, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to overcome a resilient Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F matches having yielded only a solitary point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a qualifying spot.

Major Moments

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Qualifying Results

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their hopes 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. A Hungarian forward provided his team the lead in the opening period and a teammate secured the points in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for his team with a well-taken shot in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant Group E run with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win extended the European champions’ flawless record in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. The home side dominated the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

The scorer opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball move, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the second period with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and a third scorer.

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

The Azzurri missed out for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now appears their primary chance after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. Norway are top on eighteen points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on the table, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot likely awaits for the Italian squad.