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

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during stoppage time to claim a 1-0 win, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their first three qualifying group games having produced only a single draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a playoff spot.

Key Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into second place behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in late added time.

Group K

Serbia slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for his team with a neat shot in first-half added time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K continued as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their impressive qualifying group run with a comfortable victory over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The result continued the title holders’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. Spain controlled the match with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• Italy improved their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, 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 World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now appears their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of Israel. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage.

Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch the group leaders on points, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot likely awaits for the Italian squad.