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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for Portugal with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup qualifying clash against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had saved a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

Neves found the net during added time to snatch a narrow victory, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty performance that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them facing elimination, with their first three qualifying group matches having produced only a single point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of claiming a playoff spot.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of qualifying by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave his team the advantage in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the points in late stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the result 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 well-taken volley in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the away side late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their impressive Group E campaign with a comfortable win over Georgia after goals from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result extended the European champions’ perfect run in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent most of the match sitting back. Spain dominated the match with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Scores

• Turkey 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 a young talent was among the scorers.
• Italy improved their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now appears their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over Israel in Group I. Norway are top on eighteen points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on points, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.