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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for the Portuguese side with a dramatic winner in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

Neves found the net during added time to snatch a narrow victory, several seasons after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having produced only a single point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a qualifying spot.

Major Incidents

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Group Outcomes

Group F

Hungary enhanced their hopes of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into second place behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the lead in the first half and a teammate secured the victory in late added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for Albania with a neat volley in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group persisted as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant Group E campaign with a 2-0 win over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The win continued the title holders’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. The home side 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 their keeper averting a rout.

The scorer opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed set-piece routine, and his compatriot secured the victory in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Other Results

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach commented: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or Israel. We know what we have to do.”

Italy missed out for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now looks their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are top on 18 points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points ahead of Israel. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering 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 theoretically overtake Norway on points, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.