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

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder headed home during injury time to snatch a 1-0 victory, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them staring down the barrel, with their first three Group F matches having yielded only a single draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a qualifying spot.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’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 Group Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group persisted as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the away side late on from time to earn 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 impressive qualifying group run with a 2-0 win over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result extended the title holders’ flawless run in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent most of the match sitting back. Spain dominated the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or our next opponents. We know what we have to do.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a game in hand on their rivals and are three points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the playoffs.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place likely beckons for the Italian squad.