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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

Neves nodded in during added time to claim a 1-0 victory, several seasons after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them staring down the barrel, with their first three Group F games having produced only a single draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a qualifying place.

Key Moments

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the points in second-half stoppage 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 secure their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for his team with a neat volley in first-half added time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

Spain maintained their impressive Group E campaign with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The result continued the European champions’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent most of the match defending deep. The home side controlled the match with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach said: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or Israel. We know what we have to do.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two World Cups, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now appears their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on the table, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a qualifying place likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.