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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for Portugal with a injury-time winner in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

Neves headed home during injury time to snatch a narrow triumph, several seasons after the star striker had bagged a brace late on to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat puts them in a difficult position, with their first three qualifying group games having yielded only a solitary draw. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a qualifying spot.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot 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 Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Results

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of advancing by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided his team the lead in the first half and a teammate made sure of the points in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for Albania with a well-taken shot in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group persisted as they were held to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored 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

The Spanish national team maintained their impressive Group E run with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The result extended the title holders’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players 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 passed the majority of the game sitting back. Spain dominated the match with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the second period with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now looks their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points clear of Israel. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably awaits for the Italian squad.