🔗 Share this article Late Strike from Neves Stuns the Irish After Caoimhín Kelleher Denies Cristiano Ronaldo Spot-Kick Rúben Neves saved the day for the Portuguese side with a injury-time winner in their World Cup qualifying encounter against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo. Match Overview The Wolves midfielder found the net during added time to snatch a 1-0 triumph, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to overcome a resilient Ireland team. Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia. Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them in a difficult position, with their first three Group F matches having yielded only a solitary draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a playoff spot. Major Incidents The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm. Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper. Other Qualifying Outcomes Group F Hungary boosted their hopes of advancing by securing their first win with a two-goal triumph over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the lead in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the points in late stoppage time. Group K Serbia suffered a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for his team with a neat volley in first-half stoppage time. The Latvian side difficulties in Group K persisted as they were forced to a two-all draw at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches. Spain’s Group Spain continued their dominant Group E run with a 2-0 win over Georgia after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The win extended the European champions’ perfect run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal. Despite the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. Spain dominated the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat. The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the second period with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty. Additional Results Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters. Italy improved their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and a third scorer. Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We know our responsibilities.” Italy missed out for the last two global tournaments, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their primary opportunity after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of Israel. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage. Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.