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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for the Portuguese side with a injury-time winning goal in their World Cup encounter against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder headed home during added time to claim a narrow win, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a battling display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their first three Group F matches having produced only a solitary point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a qualifying spot.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Group Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of advancing by picking up their first win with a two-goal triumph over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the lead in the first half and a teammate secured the victory in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

Serbia slipped to a narrow loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken shot in late added time.

Latvia struggles in Group K continued as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their impressive qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result extended the European champions’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed most of the match sitting back. Spain dominated the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece routine, and his compatriot secured the win in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six games. The Italians have twelve points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team 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 leaders’ much better goal ratio means a qualifying place probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.