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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winner in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Overview

The Wolves midfielder headed home during injury time to claim a slender triumph, several seasons after the star striker had bagged a brace late on to defeat a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a battling display that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

Nevertheless, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their first three qualifying group games having yielded only a single draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a playoff place.

Key Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Group Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary enhanced their chances of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, climbing above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the advantage in the first half and a teammate secured the points in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for Albania with a well-taken shot in late stoppage time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifying campaign and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant Group E run with a comfortable win over Georgia after goals from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win continued the title holders’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their dominance against a Georgia team that passed most of the match sitting back. Spain controlled the match with more than 80% possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a expertly taken dead-ball move, and his compatriot secured the win in the second period with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over Bulgaria to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• Italy improved their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

The Italian coach said: “We’re not thinking about Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, on two occasions missing out in the qualifying rounds, 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 18 points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely beckons for the Italian squad.