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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup clash against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

Neves nodded in during stoppage time to snatch a narrow triumph, four years after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a battling performance that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them staring down the barrel, with their first three Group F games having produced only a solitary point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a qualifying spot.

Major Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the lead in the first half and a teammate made sure of the points in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for Albania with a neat volley in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia struggles in Group K persisted as they were held to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the away side late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their impressive qualifying group run with a 2-0 win over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result extended the European champions’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without conceding.

Despite the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed most of the match defending deep. The home side dominated the match with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the second period with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We know what we have to do.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now looks their primary opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive win over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are three points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on points, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.