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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for Portugal with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during added time to secure a slender triumph, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having yielded only a single point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a playoff spot.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team boosted their hopes of qualifying by securing their first win with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in late added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, 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 his team with a neat shot in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group 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 qualifiers and extend Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant qualifying group run with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result extended the European champions’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. Spain dominated the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a rout.

The scorer opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed set-piece move, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the second period 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 comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach said: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now appears their most likely opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the playoffs.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably awaits for the Italian squad.