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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winning goal in their World Cup clash against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

Neves headed home during stoppage time to secure a narrow win, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss leaves them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of Group F games having yielded only a solitary point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a playoff place.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Results

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their first win with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, moving above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave his team the lead in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the victory in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for his team with a neat volley in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K persisted as they were held to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their dominant Group E campaign with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The result extended the title holders’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed most of the match defending deep. The home side dominated the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball move, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their most likely opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are top on eighteen points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a win would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch the group leaders on the table, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.