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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for Portugal with a dramatic winning goal in their World Cup qualifying encounter against Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

Neves headed home during added time to snatch a narrow win, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them staring down the barrel, with their first three Group F games having produced only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a playoff spot.

Major Moments

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in late added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for Albania with a neat shot in first-half added time.

Latvia struggles in their group continued as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their dominant Group E run with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result extended the European champions’ flawless run in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

Despite the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their superiority against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. The home side controlled the match with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two World Cups, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now appears their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in Group I. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six games. 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 playoffs.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.