🔗 Share this article Injury-Time Header from Rúben Neves Shocks the Irish After Caoimhín Kelleher Saves Ronaldo Spot-Kick Rúben Neves saved the day for Portugal with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying encounter against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo. Game Summary Neves found the net during stoppage time to snatch a slender victory, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Irish side. Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia. Nevertheless, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having yielded only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a qualifying place. Major Moments Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand. Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher. Other Group Outcomes Portugal’s Group Hungary enhanced their chances of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave his team the lead in the first half and a teammate made sure of the points in late stoppage time. England’s Group The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for Albania with a neat volley in first-half stoppage time. Latvia difficulties in their group persisted as they were held to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the away side late on from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches. Spain’s Group Spain continued their dominant Group E campaign with a comfortable victory over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result extended the title holders’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three games without conceding. In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that passed most of the match defending deep. Spain dominated the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat. The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick. Additional Results Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters. Italy boosted their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito. The Italian coach said: “We’re not thinking about Norway or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.” Italy missed out for the previous two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in Group I. Norway are leading 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 clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage. The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on points, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a qualifying place probably awaits for the Italian squad.