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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for the Portuguese side with a injury-time winner in their World Cup qualifying match against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Overview

Neves nodded in during stoppage time to secure a narrow victory, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of honor with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them in a difficult position, with their first three Group F games having produced only a single draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a playoff spot.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of stoppage time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of advancing by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in second-half added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat 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. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for his team with a neat shot in late stoppage time.

Latvia struggles in Group K persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their impressive Group E campaign with a comfortable win over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win extended the European champions’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent most of the match defending deep. Spain dominated the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from a forward, 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 our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two World Cups, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are leading on 18 points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.