Stoppage-Time Strike from Neves Shocks the Irish Following Kelleher Stops Ronaldo Spot-Kick

Rúben Neves came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying encounter against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had saved a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

Neves headed home during stoppage time to secure a 1-0 triumph, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their first three qualifying group matches having yielded only a solitary point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a qualifying spot.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Qualifying Results

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of qualifying by picking up their first win with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in late stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now seal their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for Albania with a neat volley in first-half added time.

Latvia difficulties in their group continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their dominant Group E run with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The win continued the European champions’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. The home side dominated the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and his compatriot secured the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We know what we have to do.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two World Cups, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now appears their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points ahead of Israel. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a qualifying place likely beckons for the Italian squad.