Late Strike from Rúben Neves Stuns the Irish After Caoimhín Kelleher Stops Cristiano Ronaldo Penalty

Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during stoppage time to claim a narrow win, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised 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.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having produced only a single point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a qualifying place.

Key Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Group Results

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of qualifying by picking up their first win with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the advantage in the first half and a teammate made sure of the points in second-half added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group persisted as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their impressive Group E campaign with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The result extended the European champions’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

Despite the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that passed most of the match sitting back. Spain dominated the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a expertly taken dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the second period with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Other Scores

• Turkey bounced back 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.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now looks their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points ahead of Israel. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake the group leaders on points, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a qualifying place probably awaits for the Italian squad.