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

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder headed home during stoppage time to secure a slender victory, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a battling display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having produced only a solitary point. 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 earned Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their hopes of advancing by securing their first win with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the lead in the first half and a teammate secured the points in late added time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now seal their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for his team with a neat shot in late added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group continued as they were held to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group run with a 2-0 win over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win extended the title holders’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

Despite the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. Spain controlled the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball move, and his compatriot secured the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now appears their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.