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

Match Summary

Neves found the net during injury time to secure a slender triumph, 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 hard-fought point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them facing elimination, with their initial trio of Group F matches having produced only a solitary point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a qualifying spot.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Group Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of qualifying by securing their first win 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 gave his team the lead in the first half and a teammate made sure of the points in second-half stoppage 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 seal their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken volley in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia struggles in Group K persisted as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their impressive qualifying group campaign with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result extended the title holders’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence 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 Georgia team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. Spain controlled the encounter with more than 80% possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their most likely opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive win over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.