🔗 Share this article Injury-Time Header from Rúben Neves Shocks Ireland After Caoimhín Kelleher Saves Ronaldo Penalty The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for Portugal with a injury-time winner in their World Cup qualifying encounter against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a spot-kick from the veteran forward. Game Overview Neves headed home during stoppage time to snatch a slender triumph, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to overcome a resilient Irish side. Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia. Nevertheless, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of Group F matches having produced only a single point. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a playoff place. Key Incidents The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s hand. The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher. Other Qualifying Outcomes Portugal’s Group Hungary enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their first win with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the advantage in the opening period and a teammate secured the victory in late added time. England’s Group Serbia suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for Albania with a well-taken shot in first-half stoppage time. The Latvian side struggles in their group continued as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s poor form to several matches. Group E The Spanish national team maintained their impressive Group E run with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The result extended the European champions’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal. Despite the absence of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent most of the match sitting back. Spain controlled the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a rout. Pino broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the second period with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick. Other Results Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters. The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and a third scorer. Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We know our responsibilities.” Italy failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are top on 18 points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the playoffs. Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch the group leaders on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.