🔗 Share this article

The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for Portugal with a injury-time winning goal in their World Cup clash against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder headed home during stoppage time to claim a 1-0 triumph, four years after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their first three Group F games having produced only a solitary draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a playoff spot.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their hopes of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over Armenia, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in late stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for Albania with a neat shot in first-half added time.

Latvia struggles in Group K persisted as they were held to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the visitors late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their impressive qualifying group campaign with a comfortable win over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win extended the title holders’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. The home side dominated the match with more than 80% possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now looks their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on points, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot likely awaits for the Italian squad.