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The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp winning goal in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had denied a spot-kick from the veteran forward.

Game Overview

The Wolves midfielder nodded in during added time to secure a slender triumph, four years after Ronaldo had bagged a brace at the death to overcome a stubborn Irish side.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men looked set to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned point, 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 loss in Armenia.

However, the defeat leaves them facing elimination, with their first three qualifying group games having produced only a solitary point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a playoff place.

Major Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had struck Dara O’Shea’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he headed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Group Results

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of advancing by securing their first win with a 2-0 triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into second place behind the group leaders in Group F. A Hungarian forward gave his team the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber secured the victory in late added time.

England’s Group

Serbia slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to Albania, with the result meaning England can now secure their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half stoppage time.

The Latvian side struggles in their group continued as they were forced to a 2-2 tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera scored for the away side 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to five games.

Group E

The Spanish national team continued their dominant qualifying group campaign with a comfortable victory over the Georgian side after strikes from Jéremy Pino and his teammate in the match venue. The result extended the title holders’ perfect record in qualifying, having scored 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

Despite the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to injuries, the Spanish squad demonstrated their superiority against a Georgia team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. Spain controlled the encounter with more than 80% possession, and the visitors did not have a single attempt on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili averting a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece move, and his compatriot secured the victory in the second period with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty.

Additional Results

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on Spain in their section. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their hopes of at least reaching the knockout stage with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or Israel. We are aware of what we have to do.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded playoff path now looks their primary chance after Norway’s comprehensive hammering over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are a trio of points clear of Israel. Estonia remain in fourth place on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

Italy host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on the table, the leaders’ much better goal difference means a playoff spot probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.