Sweden’s return to the World Cup stage was emphatic. The Scandinavians overwhelmed Tunisia with a mix of clinical finishing and midfield dominance, led by Yasin Ayari’s thunderous brace from distance.
Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres combined brilliantly, each scoring and assisting the other, while substitute Mattias Svanberg made an instant impact by scoring just 16 seconds after coming on. Ayari’s first strike was a composed finish past a stranded goalkeeper, while his second Sweden’s fifth was a rocket from the edge of the box.
Tunisia, despite Omar Rekik’s goal and Hannibal Mejbri’s spirited performance, struggled defensively and were undone by individual errors. Goalkeeper Mouhib Chamakh was culpable for Sweden’s early goals, and Ellyes Skhiri’s mistake led to Gyökeres’ strike.
Softfootball understands With Netherlands and Japan drawing 2-2 earlier, Sweden now lead Group F and look well placed to progress.
Player Ratings
Sweden
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| Kristoffer Nordfeldt | 6 |
| Gustaf Lagerbielke | 5 |
| Isak Hien | 6 |
| Victor Lindelöf | 6 |
| Alexander Bernhardsson | 7 |
| Jesper Karlström | 7 |
| Yasin Ayari | 8 |
| Gabriel Gudmundsson | 6 |
| Benjamin Nygren | 6 |
| Mattias Svanberg | 7 |
| Lucas Bergvall | 6 |
| Viktor Gyökeres | 8 |
| Alexander Isak | 9 |
Tunisia
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| Mouhib Chamakh | 3 |
| Yann Valery | 4 |
| Omar Rekik | 6 |
| Montassar Talbi | 5 |
| Mohamed Hamida | 6 |
| Ali Abdi | 4 |
| Rani Khedira | 4 |
| Ellyes Skhiri | 4 |
| Hannibal Mejbri | 7 |
| Elias Saad | 5 |
| Ben Slimane | 5 |
Match Statistics
| Statistic | Sweden | Tunisia |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 54% | 46% |
| Shots (total) | 17 | 9 |
| Shots on Target | 7 | 3 |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 2.84 | 0.97 |
| Fouls Committed | 11 | 14 |
| Yellow Cards | 2 | 3 |
| Red Cards | 0 | 0 |
| Corners | 5 | 4 |
| Saves | 2 | 4 |
