Portugal 1 Serbia 2 LIVE REACTION: Mitrovic hits stoppage time winner to TOP group and send Ronaldo’s side to play-offs

PORTUGAL 1-0 SERBIA

28. A free-kick in a promising position goes to waste.

With the penalty area packed, Tadic's curls his delivery straight into the hands of Rui Patricio.

PORTUGAL 1-0 SERBIA

27. Zivkovic leaves Nuno Mendes facing thin air on the right touchline, so much so that in his desperation to stop the Serbian, Mendes chops him down.

Somehow he avoids a yellow card.

PORTUGAL 1-0 SERBIA

25. The visitors are also controlling the majority of the ball, having had more than 60% of possession so far.

They hold the advantage at the moment, but whether Portugal want to allow the remainder of the game to play out like that remains to be seen.

PORTUGAL 1-0 SERBIA

23. Tadic is getting forward when he can to support Vlahovic.

There's definitely chances and goals in this Serbia team, it's just whether they can avoid giving them up at the other end.

PORTUGAL 1-0 SERBIA

21. There are mild claims for a penalty from a few Serbian players as a low cross bounces up off Vlahovic and ricochets off two defenders.

Not a handball in sight though.

PORTUGAL 1-0 SERBIA

20. Brilliant defending from Fonte.

The 37-year-old defender gets up at his near post to take the ball off the head of Vlahovic following a teasing right wing cross.

Serbia keep probing.

PORTUGAL 1-0 SERBIA

18. A ferocious pace, an overzealous official, and two traditionally fiery nations. I'll be amazed if we don't see at least one red card this evening.

PORTUGAL 1-0 SERBIA

15. Ronaldo - who else? - takes charge of the free-kick.

He places the ball, retreats two steps, takes a deep breath and...

...whips a shot over the bar.

PORTUGAL 1-0 SERBIA

14. Ooof! That's a bad foul from Gudelj, diving in on Jota and catching him on the ankle outside the penalty area.

The Serbian midfielder receives a yellow card for the foul, as does Milenkovic for his protests.

The visitors would do well to keep their cool.

PORTUGAL 1-0 SERBIA

12. Off the post!

Vlahovic is so close to conjuring an equaliser. The Fiorentina forward takes a delightful first touch to collect a pass whipped into the box, spins, and fires a cracking shot against the post.

That deserved a goal.

PORTUGAL 1-0 SERBIA

10. Renato Sanches is in the thick of the action again, working his way back into the box from the byline and going to ground.

The Serbian players are incensed, believing the midfielder was attempting to win a penalty, and it takes some quick action from the officials to break up a major confrontation.

PORTUGAL 1-0 SERBIA

8. Serbia have the ball in the back of the net from the free-kick, but the whistle had already been blown for a foul on a Portuguese defender.

PORTUGAL 1-0 SERBIA

7. Joao Cancelo is cautioned for a late challenge on Pavlovic.

The Manchester City defender points out that it's his first misdemeanour but the referee is adamant in his decision.

If Portugal go on to lose this, Cancelo will be suspended for the play-off semi-final.

PORTUGAL 1-0 SERBIA

6. We were expecting a frenetic tempo to proceedings and that early goal only seems to have exacerbated the pace in which this game is being played.

By the way, that was Renato Sanches' first goal for his country in five years. Not bad timing.

PORTUGAL 1-0 SERBIA

4. Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic is absolutely lived about the award of the goal.

He continues to complain on the touchline, but now he's said too much and receives a yellow card from referee Daniele Orsato.

PORTUGAL 1-0 SERBIA

2. What a start for Portugal!

Less than two minutes on the clock, and the home side are ahead through Renato Sanches.

Nemanja Gudelj is caught dawdling in possession outside of his own penalty area, and that allows Bernardo Silva to sneak in and win the ball.

The Manchester City midfielder pokes it through to Sanches, who has a free run on goal, and blasts confidently beyond Predrag Rajkovic.

Serbia protest that their midfielder was fouled by Silva, but after a lengthy VAR check, the goal stands and the Estadio da Luz celebrates once more!

GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL!!
AN EARLY STRIKE FROM RENATO SANCHES!!

PORTUGAL 0-0 SERBIA

1. The noise is deafening as the hosts get this monumental match underway is the Portuguese capital.

On a night for heroes, Portugal are in their traditional red shirts and green shorts, Serbia are in all white.

PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
GAME ON IN LISBON!

HERE COME THE TEAMS!

The Estadio da Luz erupts as Cristiano Ronaldo leads the Portugal team out on to the field.

The music is being pumped out of the PA, the flags are waving, and a nation is expecting.

Hoping to wipe the smiles off of Portuguese faces are Serbia. The Eagles look as though they mean business as captain Dusan Tadic marches them out of the tunnel.

The man they will have to find a way past Rui Patricio, and before kick-off it is the Portugal stopper that is acknowledged for having recently reached a century of international caps.

It's time for the national anthems.

FULL OF LIGHT

Portugal have a narrow advantage over Serbia in the Group A table, and they have a major one in the stands of the Estadio da Luz.

The Lisbon stadium is sold out for this evening's vital World Cup qualifier, and has started to fill up with Portuguese fans ahead of kick-off.

The flags are waving and the locals are ready to celebrate. Will they be doing so in two hours' time?

STRENGTH ON THE BENCH

There are some surprise absentees from tonight's two starting line-ups, but that just means both coaches can turn to star men should they be needed during the game.

The likes of Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes and Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix - the fourth most expensive player in the history of the game - are among Fernando Santos' substitutes.

Meanwhile, Dragan Stojkovic has opted to leave his country's highest ever scorer on the bench, the in-form Aleksandar Mitrovic. He's joined there by the rapid Nemanja Radonjic and Real Madrid's Luka Jovic.

RUBEN AT THE READY

It will be a milestone of sorts for Portugal defender Ruben Dias this evening.

The Manchester City man is poised to play his 100th game for the various stages of the national team that he has represented throughout his career.

Tonight's crucial contest will mean a 37th senior cap for Ruben Dias. The 24-year-old had previously represented his country at U21 (4 apps), U20 (15 apps), U19 (21 apps), U17 (18 apps) and U16 (5 apps) levels.

UP FOR GRABS

Here's how Group A looks ahead of tonight's final round of fixtures, and it could not be closer. Portugal and Serbia are locked together on points, wins and goals scored with A Selecao only carrying a vital advantage through their superior goal difference. A win or draw will be enough for the Portuguese to top the group, Serbia need all three points.

Elsewhere, the Republic of Ireland can ensure a respectable third-place finish by winning in Luxembourg, which would a confidence booster considering their disastrous start to the campaign.

• Luxembourg v Republic of Ireland
• Portugal v Serbia

SERBIA SUBSTITUTES

1 Dmitrovic, 23 V Milinkovic-Savic, 3 Mladenovic, 5 Terzic, 6 Maksimovic, 7 Radonjic, 9 A Mitrovic, 11 Jovic, 13 S Mitrovic, 15 Spajic, 19 Racic, 22 Grujic