🔗 Share this article

The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for Portugal with a injury-time winner in their World Cup qualifying encounter against Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

Neves nodded in during injury time to snatch a slender win, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace late on to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of honor with a gritty display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss leaves them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of Group F matches having produced only a single draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming a qualifying spot.

Key Incidents

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s hand.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Additional Group Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team boosted their chances of advancing by securing their first win with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in late added time.

England’s Group

Serbia suffered a narrow defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now secure their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken shot in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K continued as they were held to a two-all tie at home by the Andorran team. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and extend 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 Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result extended the European champions’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding.

In spite of the absence of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. Spain controlled the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s penalty.

Additional Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least making the knockout stage with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “We’re not thinking about Norway or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the World Cup, with the second-placed sides going into the playoffs.

Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal ratio means a qualifying place likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.