🔗 Share this article

The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup match against Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during stoppage time to secure a narrow triumph, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them in a difficult position, with their first three qualifying group matches having produced only a single draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Key Moments

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in second-half added time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now seal their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for his team with a neat shot in late stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in their group persisted as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win continued the European champions’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their dominance against a Georgia team that spent most of the match sitting back. The home side controlled the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece move, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy missed out for the last two global tournaments, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are three points clear of their next opponents. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the playoffs.

Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on points, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.