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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for Portugal with a injury-time winning goal in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

Neves found the net during added time to snatch a 1-0 win, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a battling display that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss leaves them facing elimination, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having produced only a single draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a qualifying place.

Key Moments

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Results

Portugal’s Group

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

Group K

The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their passage from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for his team with a neat volley in late added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in their group continued as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Group E

Spain continued their dominant Group E campaign with a comfortable victory over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win continued the title holders’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. Spain controlled the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece move, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from Moise Kean, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the feared backdoor route now looks their primary chance after Norway’s comprehensive win over Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are leading 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 ahead of their next opponents. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal difference means a qualifying place probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.