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

Game Overview

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

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a gritty display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

However, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their first three qualifying group games having yielded only a solitary point. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a qualifying place.

Key Moments

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Group Outcomes

Group F

Hungary enhanced their chances of qualifying by securing their first win with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, moving above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided his team the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in late added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken shot in late stoppage time.

Latvia struggles in their group persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Group E

Spain maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ flawless run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad demonstrated their superiority against a Georgia team that spent most of the match sitting back. The home side controlled the match with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and his compatriot secured the win in the second period with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach said: “We’re not thinking about Norway or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last 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 5-0 hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. Norway are top on eighteen points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a win would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.