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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for Portugal with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Game Summary

Neves nodded in during injury time to snatch a slender victory, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital 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 disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having yielded only a single point. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a qualifying spot.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Results

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of advancing by securing their first win with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave his team the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in second-half added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for his team with a well-taken shot in late added time.

Latvia struggles in Group K persisted as they were forced to a two-all draw at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored 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

The Spanish national team maintained their impressive Group E run with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result extended the title holders’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed most of the match defending deep. The home side dominated the encounter with more than 80% possession, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball routine, and his compatriot secured the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach commented: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy missed out for the previous two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now looks their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are three points ahead of Israel. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.