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

Game Overview

The Wolves midfielder headed home during added time to claim a 1-0 victory, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them facing elimination, with their first three qualifying group games having yielded only a single draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a playoff spot.

Key Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of qualifying by securing their first win with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the first half and a teammate secured the points in late added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken shot in late added time.

Latvia struggles in Group K persisted as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. 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 continued their dominant Group E campaign with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result continued the title holders’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad demonstrated their dominance against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. Spain dominated the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and his compatriot secured the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• Italy improved their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

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

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now appears their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely awaits for the Italian squad.