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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Summary

The Wolves midfielder found the net during injury time to claim a slender win, several seasons after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a resilient Ireland team.

The Irish squad looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a significant amount of pride with a gritty display that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them staring down the barrel, with their first three Group F matches having produced only a single draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of claiming a playoff place.

Major Moments

• Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past Kelleher.

Other Group Outcomes

Group F

Hungary boosted their hopes of advancing by picking up their initial victory with a two-goal victory over the Armenian side, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind Portugal in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave his team the advantage in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in second-half stoppage time.

Group K

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken shot in late added time.

Latvia difficulties in Group K persisted as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the visitors late on from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their dominant qualifying group run with a comfortable win over the Georgian side after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result continued the European champions’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three matches without letting in a goal.

Despite the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to fitness issues, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgian team that spent the majority of the game defending deep. Spain dominated the encounter with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a heavy defeat.

The scorer opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and his compatriot wrapped up the win in the second period with a stunning set-piece after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to stay close to Spain in their section. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was among the scorers.
• Italy boosted their hopes of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable victory away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or our next opponents. We know our responsibilities.”

The Azzurri missed out for the previous two global tournaments, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now looks their primary opportunity after Norway’s 5-0 win over Israel in Group I. Norway are leading on eighteen points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a game in hand on their competitors and are three points ahead of their next opponents. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up entering the qualifying stage.

The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on the table, the Norwegians’ much better goal ratio means a playoff spot probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.