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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for Portugal with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

Neves found the net during injury time to snatch a narrow victory, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them facing elimination, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having produced only a single draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Key Moments

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage 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 second place behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for his team with a neat volley in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K continued as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the visitors late on from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their impressive qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The result continued the title holders’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. The home side dominated the match with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed set-piece routine, and his compatriot secured the victory in the second period with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We know what we have to do.”

Italy missed out for the previous two global tournaments, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on the table, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.