October 12, (THEWILL) — Ruben Neves scored a dramatic stoppage-time header to give Portugal a 1-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland in World Cup qualifying, maintaining their perfect record in Group F despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty miss.
Portugal dominated from the start, with Ronaldo hitting the post early on and Bernardo Silva inexplicably failing to convert the rebound. Caoimhin Kelleher kept Ireland level with several saves, including a sprawling stop from Ronaldo’s near-post header before the interval. Vitinha tested the Liverpool goalkeeper from distance, but the visitors held firm through the opening 45 minutes.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Portugal controlling possession yet struggling to find the breakthrough. Ronaldo wasted a chance after an excellent first touch from Bruno Fernandes’ pass, and Kelleher again denied Vitinha with a low save. Substitute Francisco Trincao then saw his shot strike Dara O’Shea’s arm, prompting referee Ivan Kruzliak to award a penalty after consulting VAR.
Ronaldo’s spot-kick lacked conviction, and Kelleher produced a fine save to keep the score level. The goalkeeper extended his left leg after diving and turned the effort over the bar, seemingly earning Ireland a valuable point on Portuguese soil.
However, Neves broke Irish hearts in the first minute of the seven added on. The midfielder beat Kelleher to Trincao’s in-swinging cross and nodded home his first senior international goal, lifting Portugal to nine points and sparing his captain further frustration.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
