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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for Portugal with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup qualifying encounter against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during injury time to secure a 1-0 victory, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice at the death to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a gritty 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 produced only a single draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a playoff spot.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of qualifying by securing their first win with a two-goal victory over Armenia, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot 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 added 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 scored the decisive strike for Albania with a neat shot in first-half added time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K continued as they were held to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their dominant Group E run with a comfortable win over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result extended the title holders’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

Despite the absence of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. Spain controlled the match with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy missed out for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the playoffs.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on points, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.