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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for Portugal with a injury-time winning goal in their World Cup qualifying encounter against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

Neves nodded in during stoppage time to snatch a slender win, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace late on to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F matches having yielded only a solitary point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a playoff place.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal victory over Armenia, climbing above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the lead in the opening period and a teammate secured the points in second-half added time.

Group K

Serbia slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for his team with a neat shot in late added time.

Latvia struggles in Group K persisted as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the visitors late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant qualifying group campaign with a comfortable victory over Georgia after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The result continued the European champions’ perfect record in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that passed most of the match sitting back. Spain dominated the match with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed set-piece routine, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the second period with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points ahead of Israel. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the playoffs.

Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on the table, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.