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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying clash against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had saved a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during injury time to secure a 1-0 triumph, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a resilient Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a battling display that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them staring down the barrel, with their first three qualifying group matches having produced only a single draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a playoff place.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck an Irish defender’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 Group Results

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of advancing by securing their initial victory with a two-goal victory over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave his team the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in late stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken volley in first-half added time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K persisted as they were held to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the visitors late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group run with a comfortable win over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result extended the European champions’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. Spain dominated the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer opened the scoring in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece move, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

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

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two World Cups, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are top on 18 points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place probably beckons for the Italian squad.