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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a injury-time winner in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had saved a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

Neves found the net during added time to snatch a slender win, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a significant amount of honor with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

However, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their first three Group F games having produced only a single draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a playoff spot.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their chances of qualifying by picking up their first win with a two-goal victory over Armenia, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave his team the lead in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the victory in late stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for Albania with a neat volley in first-half added time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K continued as they were forced to a two-all draw at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the away side late on from time to claim them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant Group E campaign with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The win extended the title holders’ flawless run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

Despite the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. The home side dominated the match with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the second period with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least making 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 said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We know what we have to do.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now looks their most likely opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive win over Israel in Group I. Norway are leading on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.