Key events
65 mins: Tunisia are still not chasing the game. With Japan and the Netherlands still to come, you’d think they’d want something out of this evening.
63 mins: A couple of Swedes look to be carrying knocks. Graham Potter need take no risks, so off comes a limping Gudmundsson, replaced by Elliot Stroud. While Lucas Bergvall replaces Nygren.
62 mins: Maybe time for neutrals to return to what Dan Allari informs me is the Tequila Bunker. “Scott Ostler, formerly from the San Francisco Chronicle, named this the “Tequila Bunker” syndrome. High priced tickets going to vip refreshment areas at the interval and/or not being fully invested in the game and not returning right away or at all. A phenomenon with the Golden State Warriors and the SF 49ers. Interesting enough, not a problem with the Valkyries of the WBNA.”
Tunisia try to play out from the back. Skihiri shows absolutely no awareness or close control as he’s robbed easily by Isak – talk about taking candy from a baby. The Liverpool striker then gives off the simple assist to Gyokeres who approaches Chamakh and finishes the one-on-one with aplomb.
ShareGOAL! Sweden 3-1 Tunisia (Gyokeres, 60)
Calamity at the back for Tunisia and Isak hands one on a plate for Gyokeres.
Big Vik doesn’t miss those. Sweden have daylight. Photograph: Raquel Cunha/Reuters Photograph: Henry Romero/Reuters Photograph: Julio César Aguilar/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 23.26 EDT
59 mins: Sweden thump the ball long. Isak turns it into something, but Ayari undoes all the hard work with an overhit cross.
58 mins: Hannibal prompts an attack down the right then switches play crossfield to the left. Sweden are surprisingly passive. Considering how Tunisia play I’d consider putting a man-marker on the Burnley midfielder for the final half hour. He is the only man in red looking to dictate terms.
56 mins: Hannibal delivers into a packed six-yard box but Sweden clear. Hanniblal goes again and this time Sweden head away with purpose. The clearance reaches Gyokeres who can drive from his own half at Tunisia’s defence. He has Isak streaming forward on his left, but the Arsenal man dallies too long, failing to release his strike partner until he’d strayed offside. He should have done better there.
55 mins: Saad wins a corner down the left, chasing down a long throw and earning the deflection off Hien.
54 mins: Sweden win a turnover in midfield, Gyokeres turns and drives forward with purpose but his drive from the edge of the box is blocked.
Khedira is the first player into the Argentinian’s book for a late challenge on Karlstrom.
Rani Khedira goes into the book for a late one on Jesper Karlström. Photograph: Petter Arvidson/BILDBYRÅN/ShutterstockShare
Updated at 23.20 EDT
52 mins: Sweden concede a clumsy foul about 35m out in a central area. Hannibal takes charge of the situation, marks out a Roberto Carlos-esque run up, and detonates a direct free-kick into the stands.
50 mins: It’s not the smartest tactic as Tunisia pick up the scraps from a second ball on the edge of the box. Hannibal is the man in the right place at the right time and he attempts an audacious Glenn Hoddle/George Best angled lob that Nordfeldt adjusts to claim.
49 mins: Sweden are happy to sit back and allow Tunisia some early possession. They are sitting in a mid block, not looking to jump until the ball reaches the final third.
47 mins: As we’ve seen often already this World Cup, there are visible gaps in the block of seats directly opposite the broadcast camera following an interval. FIFA have so far blamed this on ticketed fans watching from the concourse. Whatever the reason it looks rubbish.
46 mins: No changes at the break.
Alexander Bernhardsson of Sweden clears the ball as we get back underway in Monterrey. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/FIFA/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 23.07 EDT
The teams are on their way back out for the second-half. Sweden’s players presumably wondering how they managed to concede a goal to a team registering just 0.09 xG.
While I make a brew, enjoy some half-time reading on England’s love of Jude Bellingham.
double quotation markJordan Henderson says Jude Bellingham is loved by his teammates and will be England’s X-factor at the World Cup.
“I’m sure he will have a big impact for us in this tournament,” Henderson said. “I can remember five years ago I gave him his first cap, it was away at Middlesbrough. How much he’s grown, as a player and as a person since then, is incredible really. I had a good idea when I first saw him playing and training, and the way he was.
ShareHalf-time: Sweden 2-1 Tunisia
Sweden are in the ascendancy at the break but that late goal from an otherwise toothless Tunisia has just put the Europeans on notice.
45+2 mins: Free-kick on the right to Sweden, Ayari to take it, but he floats it tamely into the gloves of Chamakh. Tunisia tear forward on the counter, chasing the keeper’s punt downfield and set up camp on the edge of the Sweden box. The Swedes defend it well.
45 mins: Four minutes of added time to be played at the end of the half.
44 mins: Sweden try to respond with a long throw of their own on the right, but it’s pulled back for a lesser-spotted foul throw.
Sweden dealt with the long throw deep on the right but nobody closed down Hannibal as he accepted the clearing header, giving him time to pick his cross and find the head of Omar Rekik who glances superbly into the far corner.
ShareGOAL! Sweden 2-1 Tunisia (Rekik, 43)
Out of nowhere, Tunisia are back in this with a glancing header.
Omar Rekik pulls a goal back for Tunisia with a fine header! Photograph: Carl Recine/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 22.46 EDT
40 mins: Hannibal and Nygren have a set-to on halfway. The Tunisian is clearly frustrated with the evening so far and the Swede gave him the kind of nudge after the tackle that can provoke a response.
39 mins: Tunisia win a turnover in midfield but Khedira looks up, sees nothing on, feeds a square ball to his right and his teammates circulate along the defence and out through the left before lumping a harmless punt forward. Hard to know what they’re trying to accomplish at the moment.
38 mins: It is all Sweden in Monterrey. Tunisia are as poor as Jonathan Wilson warned us.
36 mins: Chamakh does well to escape the melee and punch the ball out of the danger zone. There’s a bit of pinball thereafter but Tunisia survive and VAR choses not to intervene.
35 mins: Bernhardsson earns his side another corner on the right. Cue mayhem in the six-yard box.
33 mins: “The fact that I m sitting here in my living room watching Sweden in the world cup is nuts! We have been so absurdly bad the last couple of years,” emails Vincent Simmons. “Saw Swedish tv’s interview with Ayari. Very intense fellow! Claims to always watch his games back 3-4 times afterwards to see what he could have done better. Also claims to have not been pleased with any of his performances for several years. I hope for his sake he can be pleased with this one.”
32 mins: Lindelof heads the first corner of the night over the bar. That was a familiar chaotic penalty area scene with the referee struggling to establish who was holding or blocking in the build-up.
31 mins: Replays show Chamakh should have done better. It was one of those where he almost dived too far and the ball bobbled over his gloves. Still, excellent counterattack and terrific individual skill from Isak. The value of top quality centre forwards in major tournaments.
The Swedes have been the proactive side in the opening half but they allow Tunisia a long spell of possession then smash them on the break. The ball is cleared to Gyokeres who plays the hold-up role to perfection, controlling on his chest with his back to goal then feeding the ball to Isak on halfway on the left. The Liverpool striker then tears off with only one red shirt near him. He could not care less, jinking inside and curling a low finish beyond Chamakh.
ShareGOAL! Sweden 2-0 Tunisia (Isak, 30)
Brilliant from Alexander Isak. Sweden double their lead.
Alexander Isak scores a fantastic second goal for Sweden! Photograph: Joel Marklund/BILDBYRÅN/Shutterstock Photograph: Petter Arvidson/BILDBYRÅN/Shutterstock Photograph: Moisés Castillo/APShare
Updated at 22.37 EDT
27 mins: Saad picks up the scraps from a hopeful ball forward and Tunisia can build in midfield as Sweden are caught out of shape. There’s no impetus though and a promising situation ends with Hannibal dumping a hopeful cross into the box that is headed clear.
25 mins: Tunisia get some rare controlled possession after the break with Hannibal desperate to get on the ball, dropping back to collect it off his back four, then showing again before lofting a pass in the channel for Abdi to chase – but it’s overhit.
23 mins: This match is Sweden’s to lose. Tunisia are offering precious little, despite going behind early. The pattern of the match is the ball being stroked at walking pace along the Swedish back three until one edge decides to try and find a running split striker ahead of them in the channel. There is then a flurry of second-ball activity, but not a great deal of action to report.
22 mins: To a chorus of boos in Monterrey it’s time for a hydration break.
20 mins: Hannibal does spark one such counter, but Abdi can’t keep the ball in on the left touchline.
Ali Abdi runs the ball out of play under the watchful eye of Alexander Bernhardsson. Photograph: Luke Hales/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 22.27 EDT
19 mins: Tunisia are not asserting themselves in pursuit of an equaliser, happy to hang back and play on the counter.
17 mins: Saad again finds room between the lines for Tunisia, and for the second time is given the opportunity to run at the retreating Swedish defence. On this occasion he elects to shoot, but as we’ve seen time and again in these opening matches his shot is way too high. Are the balls too round again?
16 mins: That was Sweden’s earliest World Cup goal since Martin Dahlin in 1994. North America is a happy hunting ground for the Swedes.
15 mins: Sweden are happy to lower the tempo to walking pace, baiting Tunisia onto them, drawing them out of their defensive structure.
13 mins: Good save from Nordfelt after Saad broke through the middle and fed Ben Slimane on his left shoulder. The finish was too close to the Swedish keeper – and wouldn’t have counted anyway because he had needlessly drifted offside.
12 mins: Sweden do a good job of taking the sting out of the game, recycling play from right to left, using their back three to shift the direction of their attacks. The two split strikers have both been instructed to retain possession where possible.
10 mins: Both teams are trying to stamp their mark in midfield, exchanging free-kicks around halfway. The Argentinian referee is keeping his cards in his pocket for the time being.
8 mins: That was a very good finish from the 22 year old Brighton midfielder. And good for the spectacle you’d expect, forcing Tunisia to relinquish thoughts of a scoreless draw.
Tunisia are happy to sit in their 5-3-2 Christmas tree formation out of possession and let Sweden stroke the ball around innocuous areas. With no pressure on the ball carrier in defence Isak can time his run in behind and meet the pass over the top simultaneously with the onrushing Chamakh. The rebound falls to Gyokeres, whose shot is blocked. The second rebound bounces in Ayari’s direction and he shows technical brilliance to slam home the opening goal.
The yellow wall of Sweden fans go wild in the stands. Photograph: Raquel Cunha/ReutersShare
Updated at 22.20 EDT