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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for Portugal with a injury-time decisive strike in their World Cup clash against Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder headed home during stoppage time to snatch a slender victory, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a battling display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat puts them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having produced only a solitary point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a qualifying spot.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• 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

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of advancing by securing their initial victory with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the lead in the first half and a teammate made sure of the points in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for Albania with a neat shot in first-half added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K persisted 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 winless run to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 win over Georgia after goals from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win continued the European champions’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

Despite the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed most of the match defending deep. The home side controlled the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now appears their primary opportunity after Norway’s 5-0 win over Israel in their qualifying group. Norway are top on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.