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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for Portugal with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during injury time to claim a narrow triumph, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss leaves them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having yielded only a single point. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a qualifying spot.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Group Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided his team the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in late stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for his team with a well-taken shot in first-half added time.

Latvia difficulties in their group continued as they were forced to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after goals from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result extended the title holders’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. The home side controlled the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed set-piece move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the second period with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in Group I. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would secure second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch the group leaders on points, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a qualifying place likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.