Ronaldo almost made a mistake, Portugal struggled to beat Ireland

In the early morning of October 12 (Vietnam time), the Portuguese team hosted Ireland at home in the third match of Group F of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Europe.

Although rated much higher, coach Roberto Martinez's team had to go through a difficult 90 minutes to win all 3 points.

From the first minutes, the "European Selecao" completely dominated the game. The trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes continuously launched dangerous shots from many different distances. However, Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher had an excellent day, continuously blocking what seemed to be goals.

The away team chose a proactive defensive style of play, ready to make tactical mistakes to prevent strong attack by Portugal. Therefore, the home team must be very patient in finding the opening goal.

In the 17th minute, Ronaldo took the home crowd to a regretful feeling when his shot hit the post, before Bernardo Silva shot wide. Portugal completely dominated the game with more than 70% possession and more than 20 shots, but the first half ended without any goals scored.

Entering the second half, Roberto Martinez continuously sent on the field attackers such as Trincao, Rafael Leao and Goncalo Ramos to increase pressure and seek breakthroughs.

In the 73rd minute, Portugal was awarded a penalty after Dara O'Shea let the ball touch his hand in the penalty area. However, on the 11m mark, Ronaldo could not beat goalkeeper Kelleher, who continued to have a miraculous performance to help Ireland keep a clean sheet.

It seemed that the match would end in a goalless draw, but in the 90+2 minute, Ruben Neves became a hero. He appeared at the right time in the penalty area, heading the ball close to the goal after Trincao's precise cross, bringing a valuable 1-0 victory to Portugal.

The full 3 points helped Martinez and his team continue to maintain their winning streak in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Europe, while consolidating their top position in Group F.