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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for Portugal with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

Neves found the net during stoppage time to snatch a 1-0 win, several seasons after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a gritty display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them facing elimination, with their first three Group F games having yielded only a single point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of advancing by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, moving above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in late added time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for his team with a neat volley in first-half added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K continued as they were forced to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Group E

Spain continued their impressive Group E run with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win continued the European champions’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad demonstrated their superiority against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game 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 scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball move, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the second period with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was among the goal-getters.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of Israel. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot probably awaits for the Italian squad.