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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for Portugal with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had denied a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

Neves found the net during added time to claim a 1-0 victory, several seasons after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F games having yielded only a single point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a playoff spot.

Major Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their hopes of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in late added time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half added time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K persisted as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant Group E campaign with a comfortable victory over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The win extended the European champions’ perfect record in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

Despite the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. The home side dominated the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece move, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over Israel in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points clear of their next opponents. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the tournament, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot probably awaits for the Italian squad.