The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winner in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Wolves midfielder nodded in during added time to snatch a slender win, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to defeat a stubborn Irish side.
The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a gritty performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.
Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of Group F matches having yielded only a single draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a qualifying spot.
Hungary boosted their chances of advancing by picking up their first win with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the advantage in the opening period and a teammate secured the points in late added time.
The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for Albania with a well-taken shot in first-half added time.
Latvia difficulties in Group K persisted as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the away side late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.
The Spanish national team maintained their dominant Group E campaign with a comfortable win over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The result extended the European champions’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.
Despite the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed most of the match defending deep. Spain controlled the encounter 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 shot-stopper their keeper averting a rout.
The scorer opened the scoring in the first half from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and his compatriot secured the victory in the second period with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.
Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”
The Azzurri missed out for the previous two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their most likely opportunity after Norway’s 5-0 win over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are three points clear of their next opponents. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.
Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on points, the Norwegians’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.
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