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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winning goal in their World Cup qualifying clash against Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

Neves found the net during injury time to secure a narrow win, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to overcome a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of honor with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them in a difficult position, with their first three qualifying group matches having produced only a single point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a playoff spot.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Group Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of qualifying by securing their first win with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the lead in the first half and a teammate secured the points in second-half added time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken shot in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group persisted 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 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 Group E run with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The win continued the European champions’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. Spain dominated the match with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy missed out for the previous two global tournaments, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now looks their primary chance after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on the table, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a qualifying place likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.