đź”— Share this article Stoppage-Time Strike from Neves Stuns the Irish After Kelleher Stops Cristiano Ronaldo Spot-Kick The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for Portugal with a dramatic winner in their World Cup clash against Ireland, after CaoimhĂn Kelleher had saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo. Game Overview Neves headed home during added time to secure a 1-0 win, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to defeat a stubborn Ireland team. Heimir HallgrĂmsson’s men looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a battling display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia. Nevertheless, the defeat puts them facing elimination, with their initial trio of Group F matches having produced only a solitary draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a playoff spot. Key Incidents Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s arm. The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher. Other Qualifying Outcomes Group F The Hungarian team boosted their chances of advancing by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the first half and a teammate made sure of the victory in late stoppage time. England’s Group The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for Albania with a neat shot in late stoppage time. The Latvian side difficulties in Group K continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches. Group E Spain continued their dominant qualifying group run with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The result continued the title holders’ perfect record in qualifying, having scored eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal. Despite the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their superiority against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. The home side dominated the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat. The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the second period with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty. Other Results The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the goal-getters. Italy improved their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable 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 feared backdoor route now appears their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are top on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage. Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on points, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.