Sweden delivered a ruthless attacking display to thrash Tunisia 5-1 on Sunday and take firm control of Group F at the World Cup in Guadalupe, Mexico.
The Scandinavians wasted little time stamping their authority on the contest as Yasin Ayari opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a powerful strike from outside the area after Tunisia failed to clear their lines.
Despite the quality of the finish, Ayari, whose family roots trace back to Morocco and Tunisia, kept his celebration subdued.
Sweden continued to pile pressure on the North Africans and doubled their advantage midway through the first half through Alexander Isak.
The Liverpool forward burst down the left flank on a swift counterattack, cut inside and fired a shot that goalkeeper Mouhib Chamakh could only palm into the net.
Tunisia arrived at the tournament with one of the strongest defensive records, having gone through qualification without conceding a single goal, a feat later matched by Ivory Coast and England, but their backline struggled badly against Sweden’s relentless attack.
The Eagles of Carthage briefly gave themselves hope before the interval when Omar Rekik rose highest to head home a dangerous delivery from Hannibal Mejbri.
Any chance of a comeback disappeared in the second half after another costly Tunisian error.
Ellyes Skhiri lost possession near his own penalty area, allowing Isak to set up Viktor Gyokeres, who calmly finished to restore Sweden’s two-goal lead in the 59th minute.
Substitute Mattias Svanberg added a fourth goal late on after a VAR review confirmed he was onside, before Ayari capped off an outstanding performance with another superb long-range strike.
Sweden, quarterfinalists at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, are seeking another deep run after missing out on qualification for Qatar 2022.
Tunisia, meanwhile, are still searching for a first-ever appearance in the knockout rounds despite making history as the first African nation to win a World Cup match with their victory over Mexico in 1978.
