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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for Portugal with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup qualifying encounter against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder found the net during added time to snatch a narrow triumph, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to defeat a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them in a difficult position, with their first three Group F matches having produced only a solitary point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their hopes of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in late added time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for his team with a neat shot in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K continued as they were forced to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant Group E run with a 2-0 win over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ flawless run in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their superiority against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. Spain controlled the match with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a rout.

The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy missed out for the last two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over Israel in their qualifying group. Norway are top on eighteen points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place probably awaits for the Italian squad.