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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for Portugal with a dramatic winning goal in their World Cup encounter against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had saved a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

Neves nodded in during stoppage time to claim a slender triumph, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss 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 chance of claiming a playoff spot.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of qualifying by securing their first win with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the advantage in the opening period and a teammate secured the victory in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

Serbia slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for his team with a neat shot in late added time.

Latvia struggles in Group K continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera scored for the away side late on from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their dominant qualifying group run with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result extended the title holders’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three matches without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that spent most of the match defending deep. Spain controlled the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the second period with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two World Cups, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now looks their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over Israel in their qualifying group. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake Norway on points, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a qualifying place likely awaits for the Italian squad.