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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for the Portuguese side with a injury-time winning goal in their World Cup encounter against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Summary

Neves found the net during added time to snatch a slender triumph, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice late on to defeat a stubborn Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but in the end 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.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them facing elimination, with their first three qualifying group matches having yielded only a solitary point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a playoff place.

Key Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, moving above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in second-half added time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for Albania with a neat shot in first-half added time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K continued as they were forced to a two-all draw at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors late on from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant qualifying group run with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The win extended the European champions’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. The home side dominated the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a rout.

The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece move, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now looks their most likely chance after Norway’s 5-0 win over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.