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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for Portugal with a injury-time winning goal in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during stoppage time to secure a 1-0 triumph, four years after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a stubborn 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 significant amount of pride with a battling display that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them in a difficult position, with their first three qualifying group matches having produced only a single point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a playoff spot.

Major Moments

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Group Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their hopes of advancing by securing their first win with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the advantage in the first half and a teammate made sure of the points in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for Albania with a neat volley in late added time.

Latvia difficulties 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 late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result continued the title holders’ flawless run in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that spent most of the match defending deep. The home side dominated the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt 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 dead-ball move, and his compatriot secured the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders 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 qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are leading 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 clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.