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Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

Neves found the net during added time to claim a 1-0 win, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them facing elimination, with their initial trio of Group F matches having produced only a solitary point. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a qualifying place.

Key Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their chances of advancing by securing their initial victory with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the lead in the first half and a teammate made sure of the points in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for his team with a neat shot in late added time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K persisted as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

Spain continued their dominant qualifying group run with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The result continued the European champions’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. The home side controlled the encounter with more than 80% possession, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece move, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or our next opponents. We know what we have to do.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two global tournaments, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now appears their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points clear of their next opponents. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch the group leaders on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.