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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Overview

Neves nodded in during injury time to secure a slender victory, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a gritty display that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss leaves them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having yielded only a single point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a qualifying spot.

Major Moments

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Results

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of advancing by securing their first win with a two-goal triumph over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in the standings. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia slipped to a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for Albania with a neat shot in late added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

Spain continued their impressive Group E run with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win extended the European champions’ flawless run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. Spain controlled the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

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

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or our next opponents. We know what we have to do.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two World Cups, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their most likely opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are top on 18 points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on points, the Norwegians’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.