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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for Portugal with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying match against Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during added time to secure a narrow victory, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections 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 produced only a single point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a playoff place.

Major Moments

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Group Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their chances of advancing by securing their first win with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into second place behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave his team the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in late added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for his team with a well-taken shot in late added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net 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

The Spanish national team maintained their impressive Group E run with a comfortable win over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win extended the European champions’ perfect run in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three games without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed most of the match sitting back. Spain controlled the match with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two World Cups, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the playoffs.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on points, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot likely awaits for the Italian squad.