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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup clash against Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Game Summary

Neves nodded in during stoppage time to secure a slender win, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to defeat a resilient Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a significant amount of pride with a battling display that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

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

Key Incidents

• Kelleher seemed to have secured 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 hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Qualifying Results

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their hopes of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the advantage in the first half and a teammate secured the points in late added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken shot in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K continued as they were forced to a two-all draw at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the away side late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant Group E campaign with a comfortable win over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The result continued the title holders’ perfect record in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent most of the match defending deep. Spain dominated the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the previous two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points clear of their next opponents. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on points, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.