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The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for Portugal with a injury-time decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying match against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

Neves headed home during stoppage time to snatch a slender triumph, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the defeat puts them facing elimination, with their initial trio of Group F games having yielded only a solitary draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a qualifying place.

Key Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the first minute of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Group Results

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their first win with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward provided his team the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in late stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for his team with a neat volley in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their impressive qualifying group run with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The result extended the title holders’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that passed most of the match defending deep. The home side controlled the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

The scorer opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the second period with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Other Results

• Turkey 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 among the scorers.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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

Italy missed out for the last two global tournaments, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now looks their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points ahead of Israel. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The top teams advance automatically 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 secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on the table, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a qualifying place probably beckons for the Italian squad.