Sweden cruised to a 5-1 World Cup Group F victory over Tunisia on Sunday, thanks to two sensational goals from Yasin Ayari with Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres also scoring.
After a disappointing qualifying campaign that only just saw them reach the World Cup, Sweden made a statement in their opening match. They scored five goals in a World Cup game for the first time since beating Cuba 8-0 in 1938.
Sweden took the lead in the seventh minute through Yasin Ayari, whose father is Tunisian and mother is Moroccan. Tunisia goalkeeper Mouhib Chamakh made a mistake while trying to clear the ball under pressure from Alexander Isak.
The loose ball first fell to Viktor Gyokeres, whose shot was blocked, but Ayari reacted quickly and smashed home a powerful effort. The goal sparked huge celebrations among the Swedish fans.
Tunisia had set out to defend deep and hit Sweden on the counterattack, but they ended up being punished in the same way. As they pushed forward in search of an equaliser around the half-hour mark, Sweden broke quickly from their own penalty area.
Gyokeres controlled the ball on his chest and immediately released Isak down the left wing. The striker drove at defender Montassar Talbi, cut inside and calmly slotted the ball past Chamakh to make it 2-0.
Tunisia struggled to adjust after going behind and created very little in the first half. However, they pulled a goal back before the break when defender Omar Rekik scored with a brilliant glancing header from their first shot on target.
Isak and Gyokeres have been excellent strikers individually, but early in the second half they were not always on the same page and missed a few opportunities to combine effectively.
That changed just after the hour mark. Isak won possession from Ellyes Skhiri and set up Gyokeres, who finished comfortably to restore Sweden’s two-goal advantage at 3-1. The striker could have scored even more with sharper finishing.
Substitute Mattias Svanberg added a fourth goal in the 84th minute. The effort was initially ruled out for offside, but VAR overturned the decision and the goal stood.
Ayari then completed the scoring in stoppage time with another stunning strike, firing a powerful shot from outside the box that left Chamakh with no chance.
With the win Sweden moved to the top of Group F with three points, ahead of Japan and the Netherlands, who drew 2-2 earlier in the day.
