🔗 Share this article

The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for the Portuguese side with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Match Summary

Neves headed home during stoppage time to snatch a slender triumph, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a well-earned point, but in the end left empty-handed, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a gritty display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of Group F matches having produced only a solitary draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a playoff spot.

Key Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Qualifying Outcomes

Group F

Hungary enhanced their chances of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided his team the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in late added time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a narrow loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now seal their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for his team with a well-taken shot in late added time.

Latvia struggles in Group K persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors late on from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their impressive Group E campaign with a comfortable win over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The result extended the European champions’ flawless run in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad demonstrated their dominance against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. The home side controlled the match with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a rout.

The scorer broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the second period with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach commented: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or Israel. We know what we have to do.”

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two global tournaments, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s 5-0 win over Israel in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of their next opponents. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on points, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.