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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for the Portuguese side with a injury-time decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Overview

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

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought point, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a battling display that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss leaves them staring down the barrel, 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 claiming a qualifying place.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal victory over Armenia, moving above their rivals into second place behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in second-half added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken shot in first-half added time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Group E

Spain maintained their impressive qualifying group campaign with a comfortable victory over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ flawless record in qualifying, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that passed most of the match sitting back. The home side dominated the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Scores

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy missed out for the last two global tournaments, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.