🔗 Share this article Injury-Time Goal from Rúben Neves Stuns the Irish Following Kelleher Denies Cristiano Ronaldo Spot-Kick Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup match against Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had saved a spot-kick from the veteran forward. Game Overview Neves headed home during injury time to snatch a 1-0 win, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice late on to defeat a resilient Irish side. The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of honor with a gritty performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia. Nevertheless, the loss leaves them staring down the barrel, with their first three qualifying group matches having yielded only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a playoff spot. Key Incidents Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s arm. Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher. Additional Group Outcomes Group F Hungary boosted their chances of qualifying by picking up their first win with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into second place behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided his team the lead in the first half and a teammate secured the victory in late stoppage time. Group K Serbia suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for his team with a neat shot in late stoppage time. Latvia struggles in their group persisted as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches. Group E Spain continued their dominant qualifying group run with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win continued the European champions’ perfect record in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal. In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their superiority against a Georgia team that spent most of the match sitting back. The home side controlled the match with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout. Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece routine, and his compatriot secured the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s penalty. Other Results The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters. Italy boosted their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito. The Italian coach commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.” Italy missed out for the previous two World Cups, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their primary chance after Norway’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points ahead of Israel. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage. Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.