Sweden announced their return to the FIFA World Cup stage in emphatic fashion as Yasin Ayari struck twice in a commanding 5-1 victory over Tunisia to move to the top of Group F on Sunday.With the Netherlands and Japan sharing the points in a thrilling 2-2 draw earlier in the day, the Swedes seized the opportunity to take early control of the group with a dominant display at Estadio BBVA.
Ayari stars as Sweden make dream start
The Scandinavian side, playing their first World Cup match since missing out in 2022, wasted little time in stamping their authority. Ayari opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a superb long-range effort. The midfielder, whose father was born in Tunisia, chose not to celebrate wildly and instead raised his hands in a respectful gesture.Sweden’s attacking trio continued to torment the Tunisian defence and doubled the lead in the 30th minute. Viktor Gyökeres launched a swift counterattack before setting up Alexander Isak, who cut inside and drilled a low shot beyond goalkeeper Mouhib Chamakh for his 18th international goal.Tunisia briefly reignited hopes of a comeback when Omar Rekik headed home in the 43rd minute, reducing the deficit to 2-1 and giving the Eagles of Carthage something to build on after the break.
Isak and Gyökeres combine to crush Tunisia
Any thoughts of a Tunisian revival were quickly extinguished in the second half.Isak turned provider shortly after the restart, winning possession before releasing Gyökeres, who made no mistake in a one-on-one situation to score his 21st goal for Sweden and continue his remarkable scoring streak.Sweden’s relentless pressure produced a fourth goal in the 84th minute when Mattias Svanberg found the net after a lengthy VAR review confirmed the strike.There was still time for Ayari to complete a memorable night. Deep into stoppage time, the midfielder unleashed another powerful strike from distance to bookend the scoring and cap a dazzling individual performance.
Sweden seize control of Group F
The convincing victory extended Sweden’s unbeaten run in World Cup openers to five matches and propelled them to the summit of Group F.Ranked 39th in the world, Sweden made a powerful statement that they intend to challenge the group favourites. For Tunisia, playing in their seventh World Cup, the defeat leaves them under immediate pressure ahead of their crucial clash with Japan.Sweden will next face the Netherlands in Houston, while Tunisia remain in Monterrey to take on Japan, knowing another setback could seriously dent their hopes of reaching the knockout stage for the first time.
