IRISH RED-FACED AGAIN AS KENNY’S MEN HELD BY QATAR

FOR 45 minutes it looked like a shock was on the cards, and the Republic of Ireland were going to win a match under Stephen Kenny. But while this eventual draw against Qatar is an improvement on Saturday’s humiliating loss to Luxembourg, it still represents an 11th match without victory for the manager. James McClean’s fourth-minute opener in Hungary was at least proof of work being done. The short-corner routine was arguably the most impressive passage of Kenny’s tenure, and involved taker Daryl Horgan swapping passes with Robbie Brady before teeing up McClean for a 12-yard finish. It was a reminder of a time when Ireland did bloody the noses of higher-ranked teams. Ireland only hurt themselves these days. And it was no surprise when Mohammed Muntari fired an 18-yard equaliser for the 2022 World Cup hosts. Meanwhile, Liverpool’s Diogo Jota helped Portugal push past No 98-ranked Luxembourg 3-1.

A Portuguese side packed with Premier League stars — including Manchester City trio Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias — went behind to a Gerson Rodrigues strike but goals from Jota and Cristiano Ronaldo overturned the deficit. Crystal Palace loanee Michy Batshuayi and team-mate Christian Benteke, Leicester midfielder Dennis Praet and Brighton’s Leandro Trossard were on target for Belgium as they thrashed Belarus 8-0. Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic’s brace helped Serbia down Azerbaijan 2-1. The 26-year-old scored the winner with nine minutes remaining. He’s scored five times in his last three World Cup qualifiers.