🔗 Share this article

The Portuguese midfielder saved the day for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, after the Irish goalkeeper had denied a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Game Summary

The Wolves midfielder headed home during stoppage time to secure a narrow win, four years after the star striker had scored twice late on to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a battling performance that overshadowed some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat puts them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having produced only a single draw. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a playoff place.

Key Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he directed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper.

Additional Qualifying Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their hopes of advancing by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the points in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

Serbia suffered a narrow loss at home to Albania, with the result 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 neat shot in late added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K persisted as they were held to a two-all draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the away side late on from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to five games.

Spain’s Group

Spain continued their dominant qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after strikes from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win extended the title holders’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three games without conceding.

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad demonstrated their dominance against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. The home side dominated the match with over eighty percent of the ball, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper averting a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece move, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the second period with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s spot-kick.

Additional Scores

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• The Italian squad improved their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

The Italian coach commented: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now appears their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive hammering over Israel in Group I. Norway are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are three points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a win would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on points, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot probably awaits for the Italian squad.