Rúben Neves came to the rescue for Portugal with a dramatic winner in their World Cup match against Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from the veteran forward.
The Wolves midfielder found the net during injury time to snatch a slender win, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a stubborn Irish side.
The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.
Nevertheless, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having produced only a single draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a qualifying spot.
Hungary enhanced their chances of advancing by securing their first win with a two-goal victory over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave his team the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in second-half stoppage time.
Serbia suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for Albania with a neat shot in late added time.
Latvia difficulties in their group continued as they were forced to a two-all draw at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.
The Spanish national team continued their impressive Group E campaign with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ perfect run in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.
Despite the absence of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad demonstrated their superiority against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. Spain dominated the match with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a rout.
The scorer opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed set-piece routine, and his compatriot secured the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.
The Italian coach commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”
Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. Estonia stay fourth 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 Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake the group leaders on points, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.
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