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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Game Summary

Neves headed home during added time to snatch a slender win, several seasons after the star striker had bagged a brace late on to overcome a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a significant amount of honor with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of Group F matches having yielded only a solitary point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a playoff place.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Results

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a two-goal victory over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in late added time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for Albania with a neat volley in late stoppage time.

Latvia struggles in their group continued as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

Spain continued their dominant Group E run with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The result continued the title holders’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. The home side controlled the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and his compatriot secured the win in the second period with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over Israel in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are three points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place likely awaits for the Italian squad.