FT: Sweden 5-1 Tunisia
Sweden made an emphatic start to their FIFA World Cup Group F campaign with a 5-1 victory over Tunisia at Monterrey Stadium.
Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak were central to Sweden’s attacking dominance as Graham Potter’s side moved top of the group, two points ahead of Japan and the Netherlands, who drew 2-2 in their opening match.
Yasin Ayari opened the scoring with a powerful strike from outside the penalty area. Isak doubled Sweden’s lead after fine build-up play from Gyokeres, whose turn and pass created the opportunity.
Tunisia responded before half-time when Omar Rekik headed in Hannibal Mejbri’s cross to score his first international goal and bring Sabri Lamouchi’s side back into the contest.
However, Sweden took full control after the break. Isak won possession from Ellyes Skhiri before Gyokeres finished to make it 3-1. Substitute Mattias Svanberg added a fourth shortly after coming on, before Ayari completed the scoring with his second goal of the match.
Sweden defender Victor Lindelof praised the team’s performance after the match.
“I am very happy with the three points,” Lindelof said. “It is a great start to the tournament. I think we managed the game perfectly, both with and without the ball.”
Potter also praised the partnership between Isak and Gyokeres, saying the pair could become a major threat in the tournament.
“They complement each other very well,” he said. “Individually, they are top players, but together they can be a real threat.”
Tunisia coach Sabri Lamouchi admitted his side had made too many mistakes and called for a response in their next match.
Sweden’s win puts them in early control of Group F, while Tunisia will need to recover quickly after a difficult opening defeat.
