Late Header from Neves Shocks the Irish Following Caoimhín Kelleher Stops Ronaldo Penalty

Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a injury-time winner in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

Neves found the net during injury time to claim a slender win, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their first three qualifying group games having yielded only a solitary point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a qualifying spot.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of advancing by securing their first win with a two-goal victory over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now seal their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for Albania 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 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant Group E run with a comfortable victory over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result continued the title holders’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

In spite of the absence of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, 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 Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and his compatriot secured the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler 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 a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over Israel in Group I. Norway are top on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake the group leaders on points, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a qualifying place likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.