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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for Portugal with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying encounter against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

Neves nodded in during added time to claim a narrow win, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them staring down the barrel, with their first three qualifying group games having produced only a single point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a playoff spot.

Major Moments

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Group Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of advancing by securing their first win with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in late added time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken shot in late added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K persisted as they were forced to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win continued the title holders’ perfect run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that passed most of the match defending deep. The home side dominated the match with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and his compatriot secured the win in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two global tournaments, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now looks their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are three points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.