🔗 Share this article Stoppage-Time Goal from Rúben Neves Sinks the Irish Following Kelleher Stops Cristiano Ronaldo Spot-Kick The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying match against Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from the veteran forward. Game Overview The Wolves midfielder headed home during added time to claim a narrow triumph, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to overcome a stubborn Ireland team. Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia. Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them in a difficult position, with their first three Group F games having produced only a solitary point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a playoff place. Key Moments The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand. Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher. Other Qualifying Results Group F The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of advancing by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided his team the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in second-half stoppage time. England’s Group Serbia suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half added time. The Latvian side struggles in their group continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games. Spain’s Group The Spanish national team continued their impressive Group E campaign with a comfortable win over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result continued the European champions’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal. Despite the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad demonstrated their dominance against a Georgia team that spent most of the match defending deep. The home side controlled the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a rout. Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the second period with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty. Other 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 a young talent was among the scorers. Italy improved their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito. The Italian coach commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.” Italy missed out for the last two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now looks their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over Israel in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage. Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on points, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a qualifying place likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.