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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for Portugal with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder headed home during injury time to snatch a narrow victory, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a battling display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them in a difficult position, with their first three qualifying group matches having produced only a solitary draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a qualifying place.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of qualifying by picking up their first win with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the lead in the first half and a teammate secured the points in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K continued as they were forced to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side late on from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 win over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win continued the title holders’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

Despite the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that spent most of the match defending deep. The home side controlled the match with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy missed out for the last two World Cups, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their primary opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on points, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.