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Rúben Neves was the hero for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winning goal in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during stoppage time to claim a 1-0 win, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a gritty display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F matches having yielded only a solitary point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a playoff place.

Key Moments

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Group Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of advancing by securing their first win with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, moving above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

Serbia slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning England can now secure their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for Albania with a neat shot in late added time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K persisted as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a comfortable victory over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The result extended the European champions’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

Despite the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that passed most of the match sitting back. The home side controlled the match with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball move, and his compatriot secured the victory in the second period with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on the table, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.