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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a injury-time winner in their World Cup encounter against Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

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

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal 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 first three qualifying group games having yielded only a solitary draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a playoff spot.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

Hungary enhanced their hopes of advancing by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the advantage in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the points in second-half added time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for Albania with a neat shot in first-half added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their impressive qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The win continued the title holders’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad demonstrated their dominance against a Georgia team that passed most of the match defending deep. The home side dominated the encounter with more than 80% possession, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece move, and his compatriot secured the win in the second period with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• Italy improved their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

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

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a qualifying place likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.