🔗 Share this article Late Header from Neves Sinks Ireland After Kelleher Saves Cristiano Ronaldo Spot-Kick Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winner in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from the veteran forward. Match Overview Neves headed home during added time to snatch a 1-0 victory, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace late on to defeat a stubborn Ireland team. Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a battling display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia. Nevertheless, the loss leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F matches having produced only a single draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a playoff spot. Key Incidents Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand. The match-winner saved Portugal in the first minute of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher. Other Qualifying Results Portugal’s Group Hungary boosted their chances of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in second-half stoppage time. Group K The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken shot in late added time. The Latvian side struggles in their group continued as they were held to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the away side late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games. Group E Spain maintained their dominant Group E run with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The result extended the title holders’ perfect record in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three games without conceding. In spite of the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed most of the match defending deep. The home side controlled the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat. Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the second period with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s spot-kick. Other Scores Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the scorers. Italy improved their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito. Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or Israel. We know what we have to do.” The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their most likely opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs. Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a qualifying place likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.