🔗 Share this article

The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup qualifying encounter against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during injury time to secure a slender triumph, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them facing elimination, with their first three qualifying group games having yielded only a single draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a playoff place.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Group Results

Group F

Hungary enhanced their hopes of qualifying by picking up their first win with a two-goal victory over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the advantage in the first half and a teammate secured the points in late stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken volley in late stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in their group persisted as they were held to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the visitors late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

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

In spite of the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. The home side dominated the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• Italy improved their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable victory away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We know what we have to do.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now appears their most likely opportunity after Norway’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are three points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on points, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.