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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winner in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

Neves headed home during stoppage time to claim a narrow victory, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat leaves them in a difficult position, with their first three qualifying group games having yielded only a solitary draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a playoff spot.

Major Incidents

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

Other Group Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of advancing by securing their first win with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the advantage in the opening period and a teammate secured the victory in second-half added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken shot in first-half added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their impressive qualifying group run with a 2-0 win over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The result continued the European champions’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without conceding.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their dominance against a Georgian team that passed most of the match defending deep. The home side 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 goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece move, and his compatriot secured the victory in the second period with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• Italy improved their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary opportunity after Norway’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

Italy host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.