Stoppage-Time Header from Neves Sinks the Irish After Caoimhín Kelleher Stops Cristiano Ronaldo Penalty

Rúben Neves was the hero for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup qualifying clash against Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

Neves headed home during injury time to secure a narrow victory, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace late on to defeat a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a battling display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having produced only a solitary point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a playoff place.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in late stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a narrow loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for Albania with a neat shot in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K continued as they were held to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the visitors late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ perfect run in qualifying, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad demonstrated their dominance against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. The home side controlled the match with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Other Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable victory away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy missed out for the previous two global tournaments, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now looks their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points clear of Israel. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot likely awaits for the Italian squad.