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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winner in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder headed home during added time to snatch a slender win, four years after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them staring down the barrel, with their first three qualifying group matches having produced only a single draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a playoff place.

Key Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Group Results

Group F

Hungary enhanced their chances of advancing by securing their initial victory with a two-goal victory over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the advantage in the first half and a teammate made sure of the points in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for his team with a neat volley in first-half added time.

Latvia difficulties in their group persisted as they were held 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 initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant Group E run with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent most of the match defending deep. The home side dominated the encounter with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece move, and his compatriot secured the victory in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Results

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s a young talent was one of the scorers.
• 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.

The Italian coach commented: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy missed out for the last two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now appears their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six games. The Italians have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place 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 catch Norway on points, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a qualifying place likely awaits for the Italian squad.