After reaching the tournament via the play-offs in March despite failing to win a game in the regular qualification round, Sweden showed exactly why they should be here as they hit the ground running by going 2-0 up inside the opening 30 minutes.
Tunisia goalkeeper Mouhib Chamakh misjudged Victor Lindelof’s punt forward on the edge of his own box, and whilst Viktor Gyokeres’ follow up was blocked, Yasin Ayari ruthlessly slammed into an unguarded net from 25 yards.
With their tails up following the opener, the Swedes went in pursuit of a second and it arrived on the half hour, as Gyokeres’ clever lay-off released Alexander Isak, and the Liverpool star calmly steered past Chamakh on a devastating counter attack. However, that double setback did not deter Tunisia, as Omar Rekik slipped his marker to nod home Hannibal Mejbri’s floated cross to cut the deficit just before HT.
After going into the break with the momentum of their goal, Tunisia would’ve expected to rally after the restart but it never materialised, which allowed Sweden to wrap up victory on the hour mark.
Captain Ellyes Skhiri was pressed into an error by Isak, and Sweden’s No.9 turned provider to Gyokeres from close-range, as the Arsenal hitman lashed past the stricken Chamakh for his 15th goal in his last 16 international games.
Tunisia showed some signs of life late on - Mejbri’s creativity caused problems for the Blagult - but the African giants conceded twice late on, rounding off a fine night for Potter’s men at Estadio Monterrey. First, Mattias Svanberg swept home a tidy finish in the box just 12 seconds after coming off the bench, breaking the record for the fastest World Cup goal by a substitute, before Ayari lashed home from outside the box to make it 5-1 with the final kick of the game.
Victory in their group opener was key for Sweden, with a stern test next up against the Netherlands after Ronald Koeman’s side opened up Group F with a thrilling 2-2 draw against Japan. Heading into the match on the back of winning by four goals in a World Cup match for the first time since the 1994 third-place play-off will certainly have done their confidence no harm.
Tunisia face an uphill battle to reach the knockouts with no win in their opening fixture since the 1978 WC. The Eagles of Carthage will remain in Monterrey for their next game, as Sabri Lamouchi’s team take on the Samurai Blue.