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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for Portugal with a dramatic winner in their World Cup match against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder found the net during stoppage time to secure a 1-0 win, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having yielded only a solitary point. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Major Moments

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Group Results

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a two-goal victory over Armenia, moving above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave his team the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now secure their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for Albania with a neat volley in late added time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group continued as they were held to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors late on from time to claim them their initial draw 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 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win continued the title holders’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that spent most of the match defending deep. Spain dominated the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a rout.

The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece move, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now appears their primary chance after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

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