Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Sweden marked their return to the FIFA World Cup after an eight-year gap with a 5-1 thrashing of Tunisia in a Group F fixture in Monterrey on Monday morning.
Tunisia, who qualified for the World Cup without conceding a single goal, were expected to give the Swedish frontline a hard time. However, Yasi Ayari opened the scoring in the 7th minute after controlling a rebound and sending a precise shot through the crowded Tunisian defence.
Alexander Isak doubled Sweden’s lead in the 30th minute when he controlled Viktor Gyökeres’ cross and ran at the defence down the left before whipping a low shot into the bottom corner.
Tunisia reduced the deficit to 2-1 in the 43rd minute when Omar Rekik scored against the run of play. Hannibal lofted the ball onto Rekik’s path, and he rose to guide a powerful header into the far bottom corner.
The second half ended 3-1.
Gyökeres shut down any hope of a Tunisian comeback in the game in the 60th minute when Isak rounded up Tunisian keeper Chamakh and created an easy pass for the Arsenal striker, who finished calmly.
Substitute Mattias Svanberg added to Tunisia’s misery in the 83rd minute when he scored just 19 seconds after coming on.
Ayari got his second goal and Sweden’s fifth in the 96th minute when he picked up the ball at the edge of the box and unleashed a powerful shot into the bottom corner.
In Match Day 4’s earlier fixtures, Ivory Coast defeated Ecuador in the 90th minute in Group E in Philadelphia. Substitute Amad Diallo received the ball outside the box, drove in, and unleashed a curling shot past Ecuador goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez.
Likewise, in another Group F fixture, Daichi Kamada scored a late equalizer as Japan played a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in Dallas. The first half ended goalless. However, Virgil van Dijk gave the Dutch the lead in the 50th minute when he deposited a powerful header into the far post off Ryan Gravenberch’s excellent pass. Keito Nakamura equalized for Japan in the 57th minute before Crysencio Summerville put the Netherlands 2-1 up in the 64th minute when he raced down the right and unleashed a powerful shot into the far bottom corner. In the 88th minute, Koki Ogawa’s header deflected off Kamada and flew into the Dutch net.
In Match Day 4’s first fixture, Germany decimated World Cup debutants Curacao 7-1 in Group E in Houston. Felix Nmecha scored for Germany in the 6th minute. However, Livano Comenencia equalized for Curacao in the 21st minute to stun their celebrated opponents. However, Havertz scored twice, while Nico Schlotterbeck, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown, and Deniz Undav got one each for Germany.
