Isak Shines as Sweden Dominates Tunisia 5-1 in Group F Opener
Alexander Isak walked into this tournament with questions still clinging to him from a bruising first year at Liverpool. He walked out of this game as the undisputed star of Sweden’s ruthless 5-1 dismantling of Tunisia.
This was a statement. From him, and from Graham Potter’s side.
Ayari silences his roots
The tone was set almost immediately.
Seven minutes in, Tunisia were still trying to settle when Sweden ripped into them with a chaotic, scrambling attack. Isak and Viktor Gyokeres both saw efforts blocked in a flurry of bodies, Mouhib Chamakh doing everything to keep the ball out. It broke loose to Yasin Ayari on the edge of the box.
The Brighton midfielder, Tunisian heritage and all, showed no hesitation. One touch to set himself, then a fierce drive that flew past the keeper. No sentiment, no pause. 1-0, and Sweden were off and running.
Tunisia had arrived with a reputation for defensive discipline from qualifying. That aura evaporated within half an hour.
Isak takes centre stage
The second goal came like a punch on the break.
Sweden sprang forward with a blistering counter-attack, and suddenly Isak was tearing down the left flank in full stride. He cut inside with almost casual ease, leaving defenders scrambling in his wake. One quick shift, one opening, and he curled a precise finish into the far corner.
It was the kind of goal that announces a player’s tournament. Direct. Elegant. Clinical.
Tunisia looked rattled. The compact lines that had carried them here were now stretched and fraying, their back line repeatedly exposed by Sweden’s pace and movement.
Rekik offers Tunisia brief hope
Just when the game threatened to run away from them entirely, Tunisia found a lifeline.
Moments before the interval, Hannibal Mejbri delivered a measured cross into the area. Omar Rekik rose above his marker and powered a header home, punishing a rare lapse from the Swedish defence.
At 2-1, the mood shifted. Tunisia jogged into the tunnel with a flicker of belief, a reminder that they could still turn this into a contest if they found their composure.
That hope did not survive the hour mark.
High press, higher price
Sweden came out for the second half with a clear plan: squeeze Tunisia, force mistakes, kill the game.
On 59 minutes, the pressure snapped the contest in two. Isak hunted down captain Ellyes Skhiri on the edge of the Tunisian area, refusing to let him breathe. Skhiri’s attempted escape turned into a catastrophic error as he lost the ball in a dangerous zone.
It spilled perfectly for Arsenal forward Gyokeres. One touch to steady himself, one assured finish to stretch the lead. 3-1, and the air went out of Tunisia’s resistance.
From there, Sweden relaxed into their football. The shoulders dropped, the passing sharpened, and they began to play with the confidence of a side that believes it belongs among the contenders.
Svanberg strikes, VAR confirms
Potter turned to his bench late on, and the response was instant.
Mattias Svanberg had barely stepped onto the pitch when he arrived in the box to turn home Sweden’s fourth. Isak again was involved, producing a subtle flick that nudged the ball into Svanberg’s path.
The assistant’s flag went up, cutting short the celebrations, but the replay told a different story. VAR showed that Isak’s touch had actually played Svanberg onside. Goal given. 4-1, and the scoreline now reflected Sweden’s control.
Tunisia were spent. Sweden were not finished.
Deep into stoppage time, Ayari pounced again. A loose ball dropped invitingly and he reacted first, drilling home his second of the night to complete a resounding 5-1 victory and add another layer of gloss to an already emphatic performance.
Group F takes shape
By the final whistle, Sweden’s position in Group F looked commanding. They sit top, three points clear after the Netherlands and Japan cancelled each other out in their opener.
Tunisia, by contrast, are staring at an uphill climb if they want to keep their knockout ambitions alive. The margin of defeat only adds to the pressure.
Next comes a real test of Sweden’s credentials: the Netherlands, wounded by two dropped points and desperate to drag themselves into the fight for first place. Tunisia face Japan, knowing that anything less than a win risks turning this campaign into a short one.
Isak, though, has already changed the conversation. One difficult debut season at Liverpool now feels a little more distant. On this evidence, his tournament is only just beginning.
