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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for Portugal with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Overview

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during added time to claim a 1-0 victory, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace late on to overcome a resilient Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of honor with a gritty performance that erased some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their initial trio of Group F matches having produced only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a qualifying spot.

Key Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Qualifying Results

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of qualifying by securing their first win with a two-goal victory over Armenia, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave his team the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in second-half added 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 secure their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for Albania with a well-taken shot in late added time.

Latvia difficulties in their group persisted as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their impressive qualifying group run with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The win continued the European champions’ flawless run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad demonstrated their dominance against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. Spain controlled the match with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed set-piece move, and his compatriot secured the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• Italy improved their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach commented: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now looks their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are three points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.