🔗 Share this article

The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup encounter against Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

Neves nodded in during injury time to snatch a 1-0 triumph, four years after the star striker had bagged a brace late on to defeat a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point, but in the end suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of honor with a battling display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss leaves them in a difficult position, with their first three qualifying group games having produced only a single draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of claiming a playoff place.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• The match-winner saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Group Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their chances of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided 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 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the only goal for Albania with a neat volley in first-half added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K persisted as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Spain’s Group

Spain maintained their impressive Group E run with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after goals from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in Elche. The win extended the title holders’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game sitting back. Spain dominated the match with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball routine, and Oyarzabal secured the victory in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had saved Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the scorers.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach commented: “We’re not thinking about Norway or Israel. We know our responsibilities.”

Italy missed out for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now looks their primary chance after Norway’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are three points ahead of their next opponents. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.