Injury-Time Strike from Neves Sinks Ireland Following Kelleher Saves Ronaldo Spot-Kick

The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup match against Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

Neves nodded in during injury time to snatch a slender triumph, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to defeat a stubborn Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a gritty display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them facing elimination, with their initial trio of Group F matches having produced only a single point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a qualifying place.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their hopes of qualifying by picking up their first win with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided his team the advantage in the first half and a teammate secured the victory in second-half added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half added time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K persisted as they were held 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 first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a comfortable victory over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The result continued the title holders’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that spent most of the match sitting back. The home side controlled the encounter with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt 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 expertly taken set-piece move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• Italy improved their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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

Italy missed out for the previous two World Cups, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive win over Israel in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.