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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winning goal in their World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

Neves found the net during added time to snatch a narrow win, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a battling performance that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them facing elimination, with their first three qualifying group matches having produced only a single draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a qualifying spot.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Group Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their chances of advancing by securing their first win with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided his team the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for Albania 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 Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

Spain maintained their dominant qualifying group run with a 2-0 win over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The win extended the title holders’ flawless run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their superiority against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. Spain dominated the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach commented: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy missed out for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now looks their most likely opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on 18 points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure 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 Gennaro Gattuso’s side.