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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for Portugal with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup encounter against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

Neves nodded in during added time to secure a slender win, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace late on to defeat a stubborn Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a gritty display that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them facing elimination, with their first three qualifying group games having yielded only a solitary point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a playoff spot.

Key Moments

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of qualifying by securing their first win with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave his team the lead in the first half and a teammate made sure of the victory in late stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken volley in late added time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. 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.

Spain’s Group

Spain continued their dominant Group E campaign with a comfortable win over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result continued the title holders’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent most of the match sitting back. Spain controlled the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece move, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the second period with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

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

Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over Israel in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.