Brighton’s Yasin Ayari struck twice and Alexander Isak was on target as Sweden proved too strong for Tunisia and sealed a 5-1 win in their World Cup opener.
Isak put his injury-wrecked first season with Liverpool behind him, grabbing Sweden’s second goal before seizing on a defensive mishap to provide Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres with the third.
Tunisia cruised through qualifying without conceding a goal, but were behind inside seven minutes in Monterrey as they failed to deal with a ball over the top.
Goalkeeper Mouhib Chamakh beat Isak to the ball and Gyokeres’ follow-up was blocked, but Ayari – who has a Tunisian mother but opted for the country of his birth – rifled in from outside the box.
Elias Saad forced a save from Kristoffer Nordfeldt at the other end, but Sweden doubled their advantage just before the half hour, a counterattack releasing Isak on the left before he cut inside and found the far corner past the flailing Chamakh who misjudged his dive.
The Swedes looked comfortable but their advantage was halved just before the break, Omar Rekik heading in a cross from Hannibal Mejbri.
Sweden stretched their advantage just before the hour as they seized on another Tunisian error, Isak catching the dawdling captain Ellyes Skhiri in possession outside the box and fed Gyokeres who had plenty of time and space to fire home.
Mattias Svanberg added a fourth goal seconds after arriving as a substitute with VAR overturning an original offside decision after ruling a slight flick by Isak played him onside, Ayari then fired in his second as the ball again broke loose outside the box in the closing seconds.
PA
