Sweden open World Cup with 5-1 win over Tunisia
Yasin Ayari scored twice as Sweden punished Tunisia’s defensive errors in their Group F opener in Guadalupe, Mexico.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
2 min read
Sweden began their World Cup campaign with a 5-1 win over Tunisia on Sunday, taking early command of Group F, AFP reported. The result mattered because Tunisia arrived with a qualifying record built on defense, yet Sweden repeatedly forced errors and finished sharply in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico.
AFP reported that the match was the Mexican city’s first fixture of the tournament. Graham Potter’s Sweden side went ahead in the seventh minute, when Yasin Ayari struck from outside the area after confusion in Tunisia’s defense.
Ayari, who is of Moroccan and Tunisian descent, kept his celebration restrained after the goal, according to AFP. His early finish set the tone for a match in which Sweden’s pressing and quick attacks left Tunisia under pressure for long stretches.
Sweden added a second goal around the half-hour mark, AFP reported. Alexander Isak broke down the left, cut inside and shot, with Tunisia goalkeeper Mouhib Chamakh unable to keep the ball out despite getting a hand to it.
Tunisia’s defensive collapse contrasted sharply with its qualifying campaign, AFP reported. The team did not concede a goal in qualifying, becoming the first side to do so before Ivory Coast and England later matched that record.
The North African side found a way back shortly before halftime. Omar Rekik headed in a cross from Hannibal Mejbri, reducing Sweden’s lead to 2-1 and changing the feel of the match before the interval, AFP reported.
Sweden restored its two-goal advantage in the 59th minute after another costly Tunisian mistake, according to AFP. Ellyes Skhiri lost the ball near the edge of the penalty area under pressure from Isak, who then set up Viktor Gyokeres for Sweden’s third goal.
AFP reported that substitute Mattias Svanberg scored Sweden’s fourth late in the match after a VAR check confirmed he had been onside. Ayari then completed the scoring with another effort from outside the penalty area, giving Sweden a four-goal margin.
The victory marked a strong return to the World Cup stage for Sweden, AFP noted. Sweden reached the quarterfinals at the 2018 World Cup in Russia but failed to qualify for the tournament in Qatar four years later.
Tunisia’s defeat continued a difficult World Cup pattern for the national team, according to AFP. Tunisia became the first African side to win a World Cup match when it beat Mexico in 1978, but it has not advanced beyond the group stage.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.