Ireland 2-0 Portugal

Portugal will have to wait until the final matchday to confirm their World Cup qualification after losing 2-0 to Ireland yesterday. A brace from ex-Tottenham man Troy Parrott was enough to seal the win for the Irish as Cristiano Ronaldo was also sent off for violent conduct, leaving Portugal a man down for over half an hour.

Finn Azaz and Chiedozie Ogbene started behind goalscorer Troy Parrott in a 3421 formation for Ireland. On the Portuguese side, Ronaldo started up top, flanked by Bernardo Silva on the right and Joao Felix on the left. Youngster Carlos Forbs was on the bench after earning his first international call up.

From minute 1, the tone of the match was immediately set by Portugal’s attacking intent, signaled by an early chance for their talisman, Cristiano Ronaldo. Within the first minute, Ronaldo received the ball in the box, but his shot was swiftly dealt with by the alert Irish goalkeeper, Kelleher, denying the opening goal.

This set the stage for an initial period of Portuguese pressure. Just four minutes later, Vitinha attempted a shot from outside the box that was deflected wide, keeping the pressure firmly on the Irish defense. The attacking urgency from Portugal continued, as Ronaldo, despite being denied early, attempted another powerful shot from the edge of the box in the 10th minute, though this effort went wide of the goal, a recurring theme on the night for Portugal.

Despite being on the back foot initially, the first decisive moment came from Ireland. Against the run of play, or perhaps capitalizing on Portuguese wastefulness, Troy Parrott struck a critical blow in the 17th minute.

The goal originated from a corner kick, which was flicked on by Liam Scales, allowing Parrott to score with a close-range header. This unexpected 1-0 lead completely shifted the dynamics of the match. The immediate frustration of Portugal was visible when João Cancelo received a yellow card two minutes later for a foul on Dara O’Shea.

Portugal tried to regain their composure and parity. Rúben Neves forced Kelleher into another good save with a cross-shot from outside the area in the 25th minute. João Neves then fired a shot from outside the box just wide in the 30th minute. João Félix added to the list of near misses in the 36th minute, heading a cross over the bar.

Crucially, Ireland demonstrated they were not content to simply hold their lead. A massive chance arrived in the 37th minute when Chiedozie Ogbene fired a low shot from inside the box that tragically smashed off the post, a moment that could have put Ireland two goals ahead much sooner. Finn Azaz, for Ireland, was booked in the 38th minute for a foul on Rúben Dias, as the intensity of the midfield battle escalated.

The first half concluded with a chaotic sequence of Portuguese misses, including chances for Bernardo Silva and Diogo Dalot, with Dalot firing a shot just over the bar, highlighting their continued struggle to convert possession into goals.

The final significant moment of the half belonged to Ireland. In the 44th minute, Troy Parrott secured his brace, exploiting a pass from Dara O’Shea, cutting inside, and beating the goalkeeper with a low shot to make the score an astonishing 2-0. The half-time whistle sounded shortly after Rúben Dias received a yellow card in added time for a foul, with Ireland holding a commanding and unexpected 2-0 lead.

The second half began with immediate changes for Portugal, indicating their desperation to reverse the deficit. Nélson Semedo and Renato Veiga were brought on for João Cancelo and Gonçalo Inácio at the start of the second half.

The changes almost paid immediate dividends. In the 48th minute, a crucial near miss occurred when Renato Veiga flicked on a corner, providing Vitinha with a clear chance that he astonishingly missed from close range. Five minutes later, Cristiano Ronaldo cut inside but fired his left-footed shot wide of the target.

The match then devolved into dramatic disciplinary action. In the 59th minute, Cristiano Ronaldo was booked for a challenge or for swinging his arm at Dara O’Shea. This initial yellow card was quickly overturned after a VAR review, with the referee showing Ronaldo a straight red card for violent conduct, specifically elbowing O’Shea off the ball. Reduced to 10 men in the 60th minute, Portugal’s task became exponentially harder.

Further substitutions were made by Portugal, with Rafael Leão and Francisco Trincão replacing João Félix and Bernardo Silva in the 64th minute, a clear attempt to inject pace and creativity despite the numerical disadvantage. Jack Taylor was booked for Ireland in the 65th minute. Ireland then brought on Adam Idah and Conor Coventry for their two-goal hero, Troy Parrott, and Jack Taylor, in the 67th minute, a move likely aimed at consolidating their lead.

The second half settled into a period of containment, with Ireland looking to hit Portugal on the counter. Finn Azaz managed a shot in the 74th minute that was deflected by the Portuguese defense. Portugal, still pushing, brought on Gonçalo Ramos for João Neves in the 77th minute , while Ireland responded a minute later by substituting Festy Ebosele for Finn Azaz. The final substitutions for Ireland saw Mikey Johnston and Jimmy Dunne replace Chiedozie Ogbene and Liam Scales in the 85th minute, focusing on seeing out the result.

Portugal pressed relentlessly in the closing minutes, but to no avail. Gonçalo Ramos was denied in the 87th minute by a brilliant save from goalkeeper Kelleher. Even in stoppage time, the Portuguese desperation was evident, with Renato Veiga firing a long-range effort over the bar , and Gonçalo Ramos firing a shot just wide of the post. A final, wayward shot came from Rúben Neves in the 93rd minute, which was straight at Kelleher, perfectly summarizing Portugal’s frustrating evening. The final whistle confirmed the stunning 2-0 victory for Ireland.