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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying encounter against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

Neves headed home during added time to claim a 1-0 victory, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to defeat a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining 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 first three qualifying group games having yielded only a single draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a qualifying place.

Key Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• 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

Hungary enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in second-half added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the result 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 well-taken shot in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K persisted as they were held to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the visitors late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their dominant Group E campaign with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result continued the European champions’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent most of the match sitting back. Spain controlled the match with more than 80% possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a expertly taken dead-ball routine, and his compatriot secured the win in the second period with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Results

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win 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 the group leaders or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now looks their most likely chance after Norway’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for the Italian squad.