🔗 Share this article Late Goal from Neves Stuns Ireland After Caoimhín Kelleher Denies Cristiano Ronaldo Penalty Rúben Neves was the hero for Portugal with a injury-time winning goal in their World Cup clash against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a spot-kick from the veteran forward. Game Overview The Wolves midfielder nodded in during added time to secure a 1-0 win, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to overcome a stubborn Irish side. Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia. However, the defeat leaves them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having produced only a solitary point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a playoff place. Key Moments The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s arm. Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher. Additional Group Results Portugal’s Group The Hungarian team boosted their chances of qualifying by picking up their first win with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, climbing above their opponents 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 made sure of the points in second-half stoppage time. Group K The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for his team with a neat volley in first-half added time. Latvia 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 earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games. Group E The Spanish national team maintained their dominant Group E run with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The win extended the title holders’ flawless run in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal. In spite of the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their superiority against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. Spain controlled the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a rout. Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece move, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick 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. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters. The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer. The Italian coach said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.” Italy failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in Group I. Norway are leading on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the playoffs. The Italian national team face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically overtake the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.