Late Goal from Rúben Neves Sinks the Irish After Caoimhín Kelleher Stops Cristiano Ronaldo Spot-Kick

The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for Portugal with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup match against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

Neves nodded in during added time to secure a narrow win, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men 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 recollections of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their first three Group F matches having yielded only a single point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a qualifying spot.

Key Moments

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their chances of advancing by securing their first win with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in late added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for Albania with a neat volley in late added time.

Latvia struggles in their group continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side late on from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain continued their impressive qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The win extended the European champions’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

Despite the absence of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. Spain controlled the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the second period with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

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

Italy missed out for the last two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now looks their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six games. The Italians have twelve points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.