Late Header from Neves Sinks Ireland Following Kelleher Denies Cristiano Ronaldo Spot-Kick

Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a injury-time winner in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder headed home during added time to secure a narrow triumph, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their first three qualifying group games having yielded only a single point. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a playoff place.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Results

Group F

Hungary boosted their chances of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over Armenia, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the first half and a teammate secured 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 result meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for Albania with a neat shot in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group persisted as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant Group E run with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win continued the European champions’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that spent most of the match defending deep. The home side dominated the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach said: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now looks their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are three points clear of their next opponents. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.