Injury-Time Strike from Neves Shocks the Irish After Kelleher Denies Cristiano Ronaldo Spot-Kick

The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for Portugal with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

Neves headed home during added time to claim a slender victory, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a gritty performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their first three Group F games having yielded only a solitary point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a playoff spot.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner 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 enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided his team the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in late added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for Albania with a neat volley in late stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in their group continued as they were held 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 initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their impressive qualifying group run with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed most of the match sitting back. The home side controlled the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. Real Madrid’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 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about Norway or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary chance after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place probably awaits for the Italian squad.