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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

The Wolves midfielder headed home during added time to secure a 1-0 victory, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of honor with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having produced only a single draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a qualifying spot.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Group Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their first win with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured 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 the Three Lions can now secure their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken volley in late added time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their impressive qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The win extended the European champions’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that passed most of the match sitting back. The home side controlled the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the second period with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or Israel. We know what we have to do.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive win over Israel in Group I. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the playoffs.

Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a win would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place likely beckons for the Italian squad.