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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for Portugal with a dramatic winner in their World Cup qualifying encounter against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during added time to snatch a slender victory, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a gritty display that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having yielded only a single draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a playoff place.

Key Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Group Results

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave his team the advantage in the first half and a teammate made sure of the victory in late added time.

England’s Group

Serbia slipped to a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken volley in first-half added time.

Latvia struggles in Group K persisted as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the away side late on from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win continued the title holders’ flawless record in qualifying, having scored eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad demonstrated their dominance against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. Spain dominated the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

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

Other Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was among the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about Norway or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering 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 mathematically overtake the group leaders on points, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place likely beckons for the Italian squad.