Alexander Isak & Viktor Gyokeres among the goals as Sweden thrash Tunisia to open World Cup campaign in style

Isak put a difficult debut season with Liverpool firmly behind him by delivering a dominant performance on the world stage. The striker was the architect of Tunisia's downfall, scoring a brilliant solo goal and playing a pivotal role in the build-up to several others as Graham Potter's side lived up to their pre-tournament billing.

The breakthrough came as early as the seventh minute through Brighton's Yasin Ayari. Despite having Tunisian heritage, the midfielder showed no sentimentality as he rifled home from the edge of the box after Mouhib Chamakh had initially denied Isak and Gyokeres in a chaotic opening sequence.

Tunisia arrived at the tournament boasting a proud defensive record from qualifying, but that reputation was shredded within half an hour. Sweden's second arrived via a blistering counter-attack that saw Isak released down the left flank; the Liverpool man cut inside with ease, leaving the Tunisian defence trailing before curling a precise effort into the far corner.

Tunisia did manage to find a lifeline just before the interval to briefly threaten a comeback. Omar Rekik rose highest to head home a well-delivered cross from Hannibal Mejbri, punishing a rare lapse in the Swedish backline and giving the African side a glimmer of hope heading into the tunnel.

Any hopes of a Tunisian revival were extinguished in the 59th minute when Sweden's high press paid dividends. Isak was again the catalyst, harassing captain Ellyes Skhiri into a catastrophic error on the edge of the area. The ball fell perfectly for Arsenal's Gyokeres, who composed himself before clinicaly widen the lead.

The goal settled any remaining nerves for the Swedes, who began to play with the swagger of genuine contenders. The gloss was added to the scoreline late on as Mattias Svanberg made an instant impact. Seconds after being introduced from the bench, he turned the ball home after a subtle flick from Isak. While the assistant referee initially raised his flag, a VAR review correctly determined that Isak’s touch had played Svanberg onside, making it 4-1. There was still time for Ayari to record his second of the night in stoppage time, pouncing on a loose ball to complete the 5-1 thumping.

The result leaves Sweden sitting pretty at the top of Group F, three points clear of their rivals following the draw between the Netherlands and Japan, while Tunisia are left facing an uphill battle to keep their knockout dreams alive.

Sweden will next face a tougher opponent in their Netherlands, who will be looking to make up for two lost points to stay in the mix for a first place finish. Meanwhile, Tunisia will be looking to bounce back and avoid premature retirement by defeating Japan. Both matches will take place on June 20.