Injury-Time Strike from Neves Stuns Ireland After Kelleher Stops Cristiano Ronaldo Spot-Kick

Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a injury-time winner in their World Cup qualifying match against Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder headed home during added time to snatch a 1-0 victory, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to defeat a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their first three Group F matches having produced only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a qualifying place.

Major Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their chances of advancing by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into second place behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided his team the advantage in the first half and a teammate secured the points in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for his team with a neat shot in late added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K persisted as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the away side late on from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Group E

Spain continued their impressive Group E run with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The win continued the European champions’ flawless run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. The home side controlled the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece move, and his compatriot secured the victory in the second period with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• 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 goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their most likely opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely beckons for the Italian squad.