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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for the Portuguese side with a injury-time winner in their World Cup qualifying match against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

Neves found the net during stoppage time to snatch a slender triumph, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them facing elimination, with their first three Group F games having yielded only a single point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a qualifying place.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their hopes of qualifying by picking up their first win with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the lead in the first half and a teammate secured the victory in second-half added time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for his team with a neat volley in late added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group continued as they were forced to a two-all draw at home by Andorra. 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 five games.

Spain’s Group

Spain continued their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win continued the European champions’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability 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 most of the match defending deep. The home side dominated the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the second period with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive 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 boosted their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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

The Azzurri missed out for the last two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now looks their most likely chance after Norway’s 5-0 win over Israel in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch the group leaders on points, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot likely awaits for the Italian squad.