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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for the Portuguese side with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland, after Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a penalty from the veteran forward.

Game Summary

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

The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a well-earned draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty performance that erased some of the recollections of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the loss puts them in a difficult position, with their first three Group F games having yielded only a single point. They must defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a qualifying place.

Key Incidents

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after Francisco Trincão’s shot had hit an Irish defender’s arm.
• Neves came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of stoppage time when he headed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher.

Other Group Outcomes

Portugal’s Group

The Hungarian team enhanced their hopes of qualifying by picking up their initial victory with a 2-0 triumph over Armenia, moving above their rivals into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the first half and a teammate secured the victory in late stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning England can now secure their passage from Group K by defeating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj netted the only goal for Albania with a neat shot in first-half added time.

The Latvian side difficulties in Group K continued as they were forced to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera found the net for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

The Spanish national team continued their impressive Group E run with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The result extended the European champions’ perfect record in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal.

Despite the unavailability of key figures such as Lamine Yamal, another forward, 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. The home side controlled the encounter with more than 80% possession, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or create a clear chance, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the first half from a well-executed set-piece routine, and his compatriot secured the win in the second period with a spectacular set-piece after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Other Scores

• Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in their section. The Spanish club’s a young talent was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad boosted their prospects of at least making the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso commented: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or Israel. We know what we have to do.”

Italy failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, twice missing out in the qualifying rounds, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s comprehensive win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. Norway are top on eighteen points from six games. The Italians have 12 points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points clear of Israel. Estonia stay fourth on three points. The top teams advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the qualifying stage.

Italy face their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on the table, the Norwegians’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot probably awaits for the Italian squad.