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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for Portugal with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

Neves found the net during added time to claim a narrow victory, several seasons 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 well-earned point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

However, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their initial trio of Group F games having produced only a solitary draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a qualifying place.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Group Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their hopes of qualifying by securing their first win with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave his team the advantage in the opening period and a teammate secured the points in second-half added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for his team with a neat shot in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia struggles in Group K continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Group E

Spain continued their dominant Group E run with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win extended the title holders’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their superiority against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. Spain dominated the match with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now appears their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians 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 ahead of Israel. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.