🔗 Share this article

The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for Portugal with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup encounter against Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during added time to snatch a 1-0 triumph, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them in a difficult position, with their first three Group F matches having yielded only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a playoff place.

Major Moments

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Group Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their hopes of qualifying by picking up their first win with a two-goal victory over Armenia, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

Serbia slipped to a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal 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 late stoppage time.

Latvia struggles in their group continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the away side late on from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The result extended the title holders’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. The home side controlled the match with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

The scorer opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the second period with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their most likely chance after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians 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 fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on points, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.