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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winning goal in their World Cup match against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

Neves found the net during stoppage time to claim a slender victory, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them facing elimination, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having yielded only a single point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a playoff place.

Major Moments

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Results

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their hopes of qualifying by securing their first win with a two-goal triumph over Armenia, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning England can now secure their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for his team with a neat shot in late stoppage time.

Latvia struggles in Group K persisted as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Group E

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

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. The home side controlled the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach commented: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two global tournaments, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a game in hand on their rivals and are three points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.