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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for Portugal with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during stoppage time to snatch a slender triumph, several seasons after the star striker had scored twice at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

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

However, the loss leaves them staring down the barrel, with their first three Group F matches having yielded only a single draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a playoff place.

Major Incidents

• Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Group Outcomes

Group F

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of advancing by securing their first win with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the lead in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the victory in second-half added time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning the Three Lions can now secure their qualification from their qualifying group by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for Albania with a neat volley in first-half stoppage time.

Latvia difficulties in their group continued as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors late on from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and extend Latvia’s poor form to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team maintained their dominant Group E campaign with a 2-0 win over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result continued the title holders’ flawless run in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and Rodri due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad demonstrated their superiority against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game sitting back. Spain dominated the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper preventing a heavy defeat.

Pino broke the deadlock in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was one of the scorers.
• Italy boosted their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win 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 Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

The Azzurri missed out for the last two global tournaments, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now looks their primary opportunity after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in Group I. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six games. Italy have twelve points with a game in hand on their rivals and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. The Estonian squad stay fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the qualifying stage.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically catch Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot likely beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.