Stoppage-Time Strike from Rúben Neves Stuns the Irish Following Kelleher Denies Ronaldo Penalty

Rúben Neves saved the day for Portugal with a dramatic winner in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

Neves nodded in during added time to claim a slender victory, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to overcome a resilient Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having produced only a solitary draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a qualifying place.

Key Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of advancing by securing their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over Armenia, moving above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided his team the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in late stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning England 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 continued as they were held to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their impressive Group E campaign with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The win continued the European champions’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that passed most of the match sitting back. Spain dominated the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed set-piece move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the second period with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was among the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy missed out for the previous two global tournaments, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of Israel. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a qualifying place likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.