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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for Portugal with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup clash against Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

Neves nodded in during stoppage time to claim a 1-0 victory, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a gritty display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss leaves them facing elimination, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having produced only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a playoff spot.

Key Moments

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave his team the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

Serbia slipped to a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for his team with a neat shot in late stoppage time.

Latvia struggles in Group K persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their impressive qualifying group run with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The win extended the title holders’ perfect run in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent most of the match defending deep. Spain dominated the encounter with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the scorers.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the feared playoff path now looks their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of Israel. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team face Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on points, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.