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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a injury-time decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying encounter against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

Neves nodded in during added time to secure a slender triumph, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a battling performance that erased some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat puts them in a difficult position, with their first three Group F matches having yielded only a single point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a playoff place.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their chances of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the lead in the first half and a teammate secured the victory in second-half added time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning England can now secure their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in their group persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their impressive Group E campaign with a comfortable victory over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The result continued the European champions’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

In spite of the absence of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. The home side dominated the match with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on 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 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We know what we have to do.”

Italy missed out for the previous two global tournaments, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now looks their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive win over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six games. The Italians have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.