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

Game Overview

The Wolves midfielder found the net during added time to secure a 1-0 victory, four years after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them facing elimination, with their initial trio of Group F games having yielded only a single point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a playoff spot.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Results

Group F

Hungary 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 Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided his team the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for his team with a well-taken shot in late added time.

Latvia struggles in Group K persisted as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their impressive Group E run with a comfortable victory over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result extended the title holders’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent most of the match defending deep. The home side dominated the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece move, and his compatriot secured the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach commented: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy missed out for the last two World Cups, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now looks their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.