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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had saved a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

Neves nodded in during added time to claim a 1-0 win, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a battling display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them in a difficult position, with their first three qualifying group matches having produced only a single draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a qualifying spot.

Major Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their hopes of advancing 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. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in second-half added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken shot in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K continued as they were held to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their impressive qualifying group run with a comfortable victory over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The result extended the title holders’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that passed most of the match sitting back. Spain dominated the match with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and his compatriot secured the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Scores

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and a third scorer.

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

Italy failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now appears their primary chance after Norway’s 5-0 win over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. The Estonian squad stay fourth 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 their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal ratio means a qualifying place probably beckons for the Italian squad.