🔗 Share this article

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

Match Overview

Neves headed home during stoppage time to secure a 1-0 win, several seasons after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a battling performance that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F games having yielded only a solitary point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a playoff place.

Key Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Results

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of advancing by picking up their first win with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning the Three Lions can now seal their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the decisive strike for Albania with a neat volley in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K continued as they were held to a two-all draw at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera 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 several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their dominant Group E campaign with a 2-0 win over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The result continued the title holders’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, 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 dominated the match with over eighty percent 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 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and his compatriot secured the win in the second period with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Other Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the scorers.
• Italy improved their hopes of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

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

Italy failed to qualify for the previous two World Cups, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their most likely chance after Norway’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in Group I. The Norwegians are top on eighteen points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points clear of Israel. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on points, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a qualifying place likely awaits for the Italian squad.