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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a injury-time decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Overview

Neves found the net during added time to claim a slender victory, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a gritty performance that erased some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss leaves them facing elimination, with their first three qualifying group matches having yielded only a single draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Major Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a two-goal victory over Armenia, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the opening period and a teammate secured the victory in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

Spain maintained their dominant qualifying group run with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The result extended the title holders’ perfect run in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. Spain controlled the match with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We know what we have to do.”

Italy missed out for the last two World Cups, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now appears their most likely opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points ahead of Israel. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

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