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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup match against Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

Neves nodded in during added time to claim a slender victory, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice late on to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them staring down the barrel, with their first three Group F matches having yielded only a solitary draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Results

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of advancing by securing their initial victory with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in second-half added time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a narrow loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning England can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken volley in late added time.

Latvia difficulties in their group continued as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net 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 several matches.

Group E

Spain maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win extended the title holders’ perfect record in qualifying, having notched 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 injuries, the Spanish squad demonstrated their superiority against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. The home side dominated the match with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and his compatriot secured the victory in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two World Cups, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their primary chance after Norway’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on points, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a qualifying place likely beckons for the Italian squad.