Stoppage-Time Header from Neves Shocks Ireland After Caoimhín Kelleher Stops Cristiano Ronaldo Penalty

Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a injury-time winning goal in their World Cup qualifying clash against Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

Neves headed home during stoppage time to claim a 1-0 triumph, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but in the end 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 in a difficult position, with their initial trio of Group F matches having produced only a single draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a qualifying spot.

Key Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Qualifying Results

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their first win with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the advantage in the first half and a teammate secured the points in late stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning England can now secure their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken shot in first-half added time.

Latvia difficulties in their group persisted as they were held to a two-all tie 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 poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result continued the European champions’ flawless run in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent most of the match defending deep. Spain controlled the encounter with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two World Cups, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now looks their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team host 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’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.