Stoppage-Time Strike from Neves Sinks Ireland Following Caoimhín Kelleher Stops Ronaldo Penalty

The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for Portugal with a injury-time winner in their World Cup encounter against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had saved a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during stoppage time to claim a slender win, four years after the star striker had scored twice at the death to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a significant amount of honor with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them staring down the barrel, with their first three qualifying group games having produced only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a qualifying spot.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Outcomes

Group F

Hungary enhanced their chances of advancing by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the lead in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the victory in late stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for his team with a well-taken volley in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in their group continued as they were forced to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a comfortable victory over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The win continued the European champions’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that passed most of the match defending deep. Spain dominated 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 heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their primary opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive win over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points clear of Israel. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

Italy face 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 leaders’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.