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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Overview

Neves headed home during added time to secure a slender triumph, several seasons after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a resilient Irish side.

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 honor with a gritty performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having produced only a solitary point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a qualifying place.

Key Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Results

Group F

Hungary boosted their chances of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave his team the advantage in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the victory in late added time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken shot in late added time.

Latvia difficulties in their group persisted as they were held to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the away side late on from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Group E

Spain continued their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result continued the European champions’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having scored eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. The home side dominated the match with over eighty percent possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or our next opponents. We know what we have to do.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now looks their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are top on 18 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 stay fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch the group leaders on points, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.