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Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup clash against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

Neves headed home during added time to snatch a narrow triumph, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their first three Group F matches having produced only a solitary point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a playoff spot.

Major Moments

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their hopes of qualifying by picking up their first win with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for his team with a neat shot in first-half added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group persisted as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side late on from time to earn 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 dominant Group E run with a 2-0 win over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result extended the European champions’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that spent most of the match sitting back. Spain controlled the encounter with more than 80% possession, and the visitors 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 expertly taken dead-ball move, and his compatriot secured the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy missed out for the previous two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now looks their primary chance after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six games. The Italians have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the playoffs.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place likely beckons for the Italian squad.