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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for Portugal with a dramatic winning goal in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Game Summary

Neves nodded in during stoppage time to secure a narrow win, four years after the star striker had scored twice at the death to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

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

However, the defeat leaves them facing elimination, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having yielded only a single draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a playoff place.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he directed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Group Results

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their hopes of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, moving above their opponents 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 a teammate made sure of the points in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for Albania with a neat volley in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K 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 earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant Group E run with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result continued the title holders’ perfect record in qualifying, having scored eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their dominance against a Georgian team that spent most of the match defending deep. The home side dominated the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

The scorer opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and his compatriot secured the victory in the second period with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy missed out for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now appears their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the playoffs.

Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a win would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on points, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.