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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for Portugal with a injury-time decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying encounter against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

Neves nodded in during stoppage time to snatch a 1-0 triumph, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their first three Group F matches having yielded only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a playoff spot.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Group Results

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of qualifying by picking up their initial victory 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 gave Hungary the advantage in the first half and a teammate secured the points in late stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for Albania with a neat shot in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group persisted as they were held to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their impressive Group E run with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The result extended the title holders’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent most of the match sitting back. Spain dominated the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• Italy improved their prospects of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in Group I. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are three points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure second spot and, while they can still mathematically overtake the group leaders on the table, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.