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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Summary

Neves nodded in during injury time to snatch a narrow triumph, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to overcome a resilient Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss leaves them facing elimination, with their first three qualifying group matches having produced only a solitary point. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a playoff place.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Group Results

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of advancing by securing their first win with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in late added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken volley in late added time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group continued as they were held to a two-all tie 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 qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their impressive Group E run with a 2-0 win over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The win continued the title holders’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that spent most of the match sitting back. Spain controlled the match with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

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

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now looks their primary opportunity after Norway’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.