Sweden’s Yasin Ayari scored two sensational goals and Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres also got on the scoresheet as they cruised to a 5-1 World Cup Group F victory over Tunisia on Sunday.
After scraping through to the finals after a dismal qualifying campaign, they responded by scoring five goals in a World Cup match for the first time since 1938 when they defeated Cuba 8-0.
Ayari – the son of a Tunisian father and a Moroccan mother – put Sweden ahead in the seventh minute after goalkeeper Mouhib Chamakh had his lines cleared trying to cope under pressure from Isak, and what followed set the tone for the evening.
The ball fell to Gyokeres, whose shot was blocked, but Ayari picked up the loose ball and blasted home a rocket of a shot to send the yellow-clad fans in the stands into raptures, although the player’s own celebrations were more subdued.
Set to defend and hit Sweden on the break, Tunisia then got a taste of their own medicine as they committed players forward and chased an equalizer on the half-hour mark, only to be undone on the counter-attack.
The Swedes won the ball in their own half and played it to Gyokeres, who took it on his chest and immediately dropped Isak down the left. The striker ran at defender Montassar Talbi before cutting in and slotting the ball past Chamakh, who should have done better.
The Tunisians did little in the opening half and struggled to recalibrate their game plan after falling behind, but they still managed to pull a goal back before the break, defender Omar Rekik scoring with a superb glancing header that was his side’s first effort on target.
Miscues
Isak and Gyokeres have both proved to be fearsome strikers individually, but there were a number of mistakes at the start of the second half as they struggled to play on the same wavelength.
They finally clicked again on the hour mark when Isak stole the ball from Ellyes Skhiri and teed up his strike partner to make it 3-1 with a simple finish, and Gyokeres could have added a couple more to his tally with some better finishing.
Substitute Mattias Svanberg scored straight after coming off the bench in the 84th minute, and although the goal was initially ruled out for offside, it was allowed to stand after a VAR review.
Ayari then closed the show in stoppage time with another miracle strike, firing a thunderous shot from outside the box that Chamakh was powerless to stop.
This time the midfielder celebrated with abandon as Sweden went top of Group F on three points ahead of Japan and the Netherlands, who earlier drew 2-2.
“It’s football so you know anything can happen, especially at 2-1, but I thought the boys played with a stability and a composure throughout the game,” Sweden coach Graham Potter said.
“Obviously when you concede, there’s always a danger that you get emotional and you forget what you have to do, but the lads did well and we always thought if we could stay solid and compact and defend well then we’ve got two guys up front who can hurt them and I think we offered that threat all night, really.”
Potter was effusive in his praise for Isak and Gyokeres, despite their sometimes rough interplay.
“They haven’t played together that much so it’ll get better I think the more they play. I thought they’ve worked well for each other, worked hard. It’s nice for them to score goals, this convinces them they’re on the right track, but I thought they were both fantastic.”
Having not conceded a single goal in qualifying, it was a sobering night for Tunisia’s defence.
“It’s a tough loss. It’s painful. To start the competition with this bad loss is really tough,” coach Sabri Lamouchi told reporters.
“We made too many mistakes and it’s not something we can do. We’re shooting ourselves in the foot, we’re hurting ourselves.”
