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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for Portugal with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had denied a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

Neves headed home during injury time to claim a 1-0 win, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having yielded only a single draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a playoff spot.

Major Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Results

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their hopes of advancing by securing their first win with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for his team with a well-taken volley in late added time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K continued as they were held to a two-all draw at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side late on from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ perfect record in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. Spain dominated the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and his compatriot secured the win in the second period with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now appears their most likely opportunity after Norway’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points clear of Israel. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on points, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.