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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup encounter against Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

The Wolves midfielder headed home during stoppage time to secure a slender victory, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice late on to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a gritty performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having produced only a solitary point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a qualifying spot.

Key Moments

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Results

Group F

Hungary enhanced their chances of qualifying by picking up their first win with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided his team the advantage in the first half and a teammate secured the points in late stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now seal their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken shot in first-half added time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group continued as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their dominant qualifying group run with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The result continued the title holders’ perfect record in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent most of the match sitting back. The home side dominated the match with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach said: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy missed out for the previous two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now looks their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points ahead 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 playoffs.

The Italian national team face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on points, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.