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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for the Portuguese side with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup encounter against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during stoppage time to snatch a 1-0 triumph, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss puts them staring down the barrel, with their first three qualifying group games having yielded only a solitary point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a playoff spot.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Group Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their chances of advancing by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the lead in the opening period and a teammate secured the points in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for Albania with a neat volley in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group persisted as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors late on from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant Group E campaign with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ perfect record in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. The home side controlled the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach said: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now appears their primary chance after Norway’s 5-0 win over Israel in their qualifying group. Norway are top on 18 points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are three points ahead of Israel. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.