After beating Tunisia 5-1 in their first World Cup group game, Sweden were on the receiving end of a pasting by the same scoreline on Saturday.

The Netherlands ran riot in Houston, all but securing their place in the knockout stages.

We reflect on this game in our Scout Notes, which features match stats from our World Cup Toolkit page.

THE NETHERLANDS 5-1 SWEDEN

• Goals: Brobbey x2, Gakpo x2, Summerville | Elanga
• Assists: Gakpo, Dumfries x2, Summerville, Depay | Isak
• Shot on target bonus: Gakpo x2, Brobbey, Gyokeres
• Tackle bonus: Gravenberch, de Jong
• Top points scorers: Gakpo (19), Brobbey (15), Summerville (12), Dumfries (8), Elanga (8), Isak (7)

TEAM STATS

PLAYER STATS

SCOUT NOTES

• Both attacks emerged with credit from this entertaining spectacle. The quality of defending left a lot to be desired, however, especially the rearguard effort served up by Sweden.
• We’d highlighted the Swedes’ defensive deficiencies going into the tournament, and the search for a first clean sheet under Graham Potter goes on. It’s 19 goals conceded in the eight matches he’s overseen. If you’re interested in a Japan attacker in Round 3, this viewing would have done little to dissuade you.
• While Sweden did outshoot the Dutch by 16-10, they trailed 0.99-2.47 on xG. The first three of the Netherlands’ goals were carbon-copy, with balls across the six-yard box turned in by Brian Brobbey ($5.7m) (twice) and Cody Gakpo ($7.7m). Donyell Malen ($6.1m) had a great chance to assist another identical goal amidst all that, but overcooked his pass. It’s a failing that Sweden just weren’t learning from, and Japan’s wing-backs and striker Ayase Ueda ($7.0m) will hope to exploit that in midweek.
• It wasn’t just balls across the box that were Sweden’s undoing. Oranje’s final two goals were alike one another, too. The amount of backpedalling and backing off that Potter’s side was doing was alarming, and it allowed Gakpo and Crysencio Summerville ($5.3m) the time and space to score goals four and five.
• Sweden’s attack deserves some credit, however. They’ve scored in every single match that Potter has been in charge of, hitting five in Round 1. They were a big threat from the first hydration break (ugh) onwards, with Potter adjusting his tactics and moving from a 3-5-2 to more of a 4-3-3. That saw Alexander Isak ($8.0m) shift to the left wing. While the Liverpool man grabbed a fine assist, Viktor Gyokeres ($7.8m) posed the bigger goal threat: it was five shots to one in the Arsenal forward’s favour. The two did combine well on occasions, though.
• Yasin Ayari ($5.3m) was a menace from the edge of the box, matching Gyokeres for shots. He also had a great opening teed up by the Gunners’ striker, but miscontrolled instead of heading straight for goal.
• Anthony Elanga ($5.8m) made a difference when he was thrown on, and you’d imagine he starts in Round 3 now. He raced onto Isak’s through-ball to grab Sweden’s consolation.
• As for the Dutch, it was a superb day for what will probably be their front three against Tunisia. Gakpo and Brobbey both bagged braces from the start, while Summerville came off the bench to score and assist. Why was the West Ham United winger not starting after his Round 1 heroics? The answer – fitness:

 “Crysencio Summerville wasn’t 100% to start, also due to some discomfort from Thursday.” – Ronald Koeman, via Futbol Fantasy

• Summerville went down late in the game after being caught in the face but Koeman doesn’t think it’s anything serious.

“Crysencio Summerville, as far as I know, isn’t serious. He had a slight headache. So we’re assuming it’s nothing major and that he’ll be available for the next match.” – Ronald Koeman, via Futbol Fantasy

• Assuming Summerville is fit to start against Tunisia, then the loser in this situation is going to be Malen. He was moved from centre-forward to right wing to accommodate Brobbey, and he’ll likely be the fall guy when Summerville returns to the XI. Indeed, Malen was hooked at half-time here.
• Memphis Depay ($7.4m) got through another cameo as he builds his fitness, although Brobbey will take some shifting on this form.

“I think he, too, and this is perhaps the most important thing of all, has really gotten into shape in the Premier League. Naturally, he had a season where he wasn’t playing at the beginning. Then he got his chance, took it, and is super fit. I once read in the Netherlands that he couldn’t play 90 minutes. And then we also had a few situations with the Dutch national team where minor discomforts would quickly appear. So all of that was too much, and he’s gained stamina. And then you’re fitter, you’re leaner, and you develop. So I’m very happy about that.” – Ronald Koeman on Brian Brobbey, via Futbol Fantasy

• Finally, a word on Denzel Dumfries ($5.7m). While the Dutch defence looked wobbly, his forte is his attacking play. He assisted Brobbey and Gakpo with two of the aforementioned crosses across the six-yard box, and was as advanced as ever. Assuming Koeman doesn’t get cocky with his team selection, given that the Netherlands are as good as through (but not assured of top spot), Dumfries will likely be one of the first names considered in many Wildcarders’ Round 3 sides. Attackers like Gakpo won’t be far behind him, given how abject an eliminated Tunisia have been.