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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for the Portuguese side with a injury-time decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had denied a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Overview

Neves nodded in during added time to claim a slender triumph, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a battling performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the loss leaves them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having yielded only a single draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a qualifying spot.

Major Incidents

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Group Results

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of advancing by securing their first win with a 2-0 victory 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 points in second-half added time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for Albania with a neat shot in first-half 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. An Andorran player found the net for the visitors late on from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain continued their dominant qualifying group run with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win extended the European champions’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game 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 averting a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the second period with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 win 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 the group leaders or Israel. We know what we have to do.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now appears their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are leading on 18 points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points clear of their next opponents. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place probably awaits for the Italian squad.