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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a injury-time winner in their World Cup match against Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

Neves found the net during injury time to claim a slender triumph, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to defeat a resilient Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital 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 memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the loss puts them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F games having yielded only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a playoff place.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their chances of qualifying by securing their first win with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for Albania with a well-taken shot in first-half added time.

Latvia struggles in Group K persisted as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the away side late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 win over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The result continued the European champions’ flawless run in qualifying, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that spent most of the match defending deep. The home side 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 rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. The Spanish club’s a young talent was among the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.”

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their most likely opportunity after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points ahead of Israel. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.