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

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during stoppage time to secure a slender win, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a battling performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F games having produced only a solitary point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a qualifying place.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Group Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their hopes of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal victory over Armenia, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning England can now seal their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for his team with a neat volley in late added time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K continued as they were held to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the visitors late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their dominant Group E campaign with a 2-0 win over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result extended the title holders’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. Spain controlled the match with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or generate 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 dead-ball move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the second period with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy missed out for the previous two World Cups, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now looks their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive win over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage.

Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ much better goal ratio means a qualifying place likely awaits for the Italian squad.