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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup clash against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

Neves found the net during injury time to snatch a narrow triumph, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to defeat a resilient Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a battling performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss 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 beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a qualifying spot.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their chances of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into second place behind Portugal in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the lead in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the victory in second-half added time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a narrow loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now secure their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for Albania with a neat shot in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K persisted 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 first point of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Group E

Spain continued their dominant Group E run with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after goals from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win continued the European champions’ flawless run in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal.

In spite of the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgian team that spent most of the match sitting back. The home side controlled the match with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the second period with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Results

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the goal-getters.
• Italy improved their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two global tournaments, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their primary chance after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are top on eighteen points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia remain 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 Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on points, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.