Sweden Thrash Tunisia 5-1 in World Cup Opener

Tunisia did not concede once in 10 qualifying matches for this World Cup, but neither Equatorial Guinea nor Liberia boast forwards of the calibre of Yasin Ayari, Alexander Isak or Viktor Gyokeres.

Helped out by Arsenal centre-forward Gyokeres and some dozy defending, Ayari and Isak both scored within the opening half-hour, as Sweden celebrated their first World Cup finals match in eight years with a 5-1 victory over the toothless, ragged Tunisians in Group F.

Gyokeres had his goal 14 minutes after half-time, settling Swedish nerves following Omar Rekik’s headed effort for Tunisia shortly before half-time. Mattias Svanberg scored with his first touch after coming on as an 84th-minute substitute, then deep into stoppage time, Ayari thundered home his second.

Ayari, the 22-year-old Brighton & Hove Albion player, sank to his knees in prayer following his seventh-minute opener. Perhaps he was asking for forgiveness from his Tunisian father, Azzouz. Mother Amina, from Morocco, would, surely, have been beaming. Most neutrals were, too, following a howitzer of a strike.

Mouhib Chamakh was partially at fault, haring from his goal to beat Isak to a long ball but applying a weak chested touch. Gyokeres gathered, then lifted the ball over the prone keeper and forced an unconvincing clearance from Montassar Talbi.

As if fed up with the toing-and-froing, Ayari took one touch, then unleashed a thunderbolt that travelled between the gloves of Chamakh and beyond the helpless Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida on the line.