Isak Shines as Sweden Dominates Tunisia 5-1

Alexander Isak came into this tournament with questions still hanging over him after a bruising first season at Liverpool. Ninety ruthless minutes later, those doubts looked badly outdated.

This was his stage, his game, his statement.

The striker tore Tunisia apart in a 5-1 dismantling that announced Sweden as serious contenders and shredded the aura around a defence that had cruised through qualifying. He scored a sublime solo goal, bullied Tunisia’s back line all evening and had a decisive hand in two more. By the final whistle, Graham Potter’s side were swaggering. Tunisia were staggering.

Ayari ignores his roots, Sweden strike early

The tone was set almost immediately.

Seven minutes in, chaos broke out in the Tunisian box. Mouhib Chamakh twice flung himself at efforts from Isak and Viktor Gyokeres, somehow keeping both out in a frantic scramble. The ball squirmed clear to the edge of the area, where Yasin Ayari, born with Tunisian heritage but wearing Swedish yellow, showed no hint of divided loyalty.

One touch to set, one vicious swing of his right boot, and the ball ripped into the net. No celebration muted, no apology. Just a clean, ruthless finish for 1-0.

Tunisia, who arrived boasting one of the meanest defensive records in qualifying, suddenly looked anything but secure.

Isak’s solo stunner rips Tunisia open

The pressure didn’t ease. Sweden smelled weakness and went after it.

On the half-hour, Tunisia pushed up for a set piece and were punished in brutal fashion. One loose ball, one quick release, and Isak was away down the left. Space in front of him, defenders retreating in panic.

He drove at them, dropped a shoulder, glided inside far too easily and, with the Tunisian back line in disarray, wrapped a precise curling shot into the far corner. A striker in full command of his craft, and a finish that oozed confidence.

Two-nil, and Tunisia’s proud defensive reputation lay in pieces.

Rekik offers brief hope

Just when the contest looked ready to run away from them, Tunisia found a foothold.

Moments before the interval, Hannibal Mejbri finally produced the kind of delivery their fans had been begging for, arcing a superb cross into the box. Omar Rekik attacked it with conviction, climbed highest and powered his header past the Swedish keeper.

It punished a rare lapse in Sweden’s otherwise controlled back line and dragged Tunisia back into the game. At 2-1, with the half-time whistle following soon after, the African side headed for the tunnel with a flicker of belief and a lifeline they scarcely deserved.

That was as good as it got.

High press, high price: Gyokeres restores control

Any notion of a Tunisian fightback died just before the hour.

Sweden pushed up aggressively, refusing to sit on their lead. Isak led the charge, snapping into a challenge on captain Ellyes Skhiri right on the edge of the area. Under pressure, Skhiri miscontrolled horribly. The ball broke loose in the worst possible place.

Gyokeres pounced.

The Arsenal forward took a touch, steadied himself and finished with icy composure, sliding his shot home to restore the two-goal cushion and make it 3-1. Sweden’s bench erupted; Tunisia’s shoulders dropped.

From that moment, the contest turned into an exhibition.

Svanberg strikes, VAR confirms Isak’s touch of class

With the game stretched and Tunisia chasing shadows, Sweden began to play with the freedom of a side that knows it belongs at this level. Potter turned to his bench, and Mattias Svanberg wasted no time justifying the call.

Seconds after coming on, he darted into the box as Isak produced a deft flick in his direction. Svanberg reacted first and swept the ball home. The assistant’s flag went up, briefly muting the celebrations, but the replay told a different story.

VAR showed that Isak’s touch had actually played Svanberg onside. Goal given. Four-one. Any remaining doubt erased.

Ayari completes the rout

By stoppage time, Tunisia were simply trying to escape without further damage. Sweden had other ideas.

A loose ball dropped kindly in the box and Ayari, still buzzing from his early strike, reacted quicker than anyone. One sharp step, one clean finish. His second of the night, Sweden’s fifth, and a thumping 5-1 scoreline that reflected the gulf in quality and conviction.

Group F picture shifts

The result sends Sweden clear at the top of Group F, three points ahead after the Netherlands and Japan cancelled each other out in their opener. Potter’s men now walk into a heavyweight meeting with the Netherlands on June 20 with momentum, goals and belief pouring through the squad.

For Tunisia, the task is stark. They must regroup fast and beat Japan on the same day to keep their knockout hopes alive. After being torn apart by Isak and company, how quickly can they find their feet again?