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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for Portugal with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup match against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

Neves found the net during injury time to secure a narrow triumph, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to overcome a resilient Irish side.

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 honor with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them staring down the barrel, with their first three Group F games having produced only a single point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a playoff spot.

Key Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of qualifying by securing their first win with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided his team the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for his team with a neat shot in first-half added time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the away side late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

Spain maintained their dominant Group E run with a 2-0 win over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The win extended the title holders’ perfect run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

In spite of the absence of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their dominance against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. The home side dominated the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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

Italy missed out for the previous two World Cups, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake the group leaders on points, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.