🔗 Share this article

Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup clash against Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during added time to secure a narrow win, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to defeat a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring 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 staring down the barrel, with their first three qualifying group matches having yielded only a solitary point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Results

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of qualifying by picking up their first win with a two-goal triumph over Armenia, moving above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided his team the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in second-half added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for his team with a well-taken volley in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their impressive Group E campaign with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The result extended the title holders’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. Spain dominated the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and his compatriot secured the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Results

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and a third scorer.

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

Italy missed out for the previous two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary chance after Norway’s 5-0 win over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot likely beckons for the Italian squad.