Switzerland beat North Macedonia 3-0 in Luzern to extend perfect Nations League start

First-half deadlock and defensive error

Switzerland hosted North Macedonia in Luzern on Tuesday evening, seeking a fourth consecutive victory in UEFA Nations League Group B1. Head coach Murat Yakin made five changes to his starting lineup compared to Saturday's match against Slovenia, resting goalkeeper Gregor Kobel ahead of Borussia Dortmund's Friday Bundesliga fixture and starting Yvon Mvogo in goal. The revised Swiss lineup struggled with rhythm on a bumpy pitch in front of over 15,000 spectators at the Thermoplan Arena. North Macedonia created early openings, with Andrej Stojchevski heading over from a 20th-minute corner and Dimitar Mitrovski missing the target on a 35th-minute volley. The deadlock broke in the 43rd minute when Zeki Amdouni pressured Ezgjan Alioski near the corner flag, forcing a loose backpass to Visar Musliu that Fabian Rieder intercepted before firing under the crossbar for his second goal in 37 international caps.

Halftime substitutions alter momentum

Trailing at the break despite having opportunities, North Macedonia failed to register a goal, extending a scoring drought across the entire calendar year. Yakin reacted at halftime with a double change, replacing the injured Djibril Sow and midfielder Vincent Sierro with Johan Manzambi and Ardon Jashari. The substitutions added directness to the Swiss attack, with the hosts creating more chances between the 45th and 60th minutes than in the entire first half. Jashari broke forward 10 minutes into the second half but delayed his final pass, while Amdouni continued to trouble the Macedonian backline from a fluid attacking role.

Amdouni discussed his freedom in the attacking setup before the match.

I can vary my game, go deep or drop back.

Second-half goals and administrative error

North Macedonia faced additional disruption near the hour mark when manager Goce Sedloski attempted to substitute Hristijan Maleski onto the pitch. The fourth official blocked the substitution because Maleski was not listed on the official match sheet, forcing the player back to the bench. Switzerland capitalized on their territorial control in the 74th minute when Manzambi attempted a central long-range shot that visiting goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski punched into his own net. Seven minutes later, Manzambi pressured the Macedonian defense at the edge of the penalty box, allowing Dan Ndoye to collect the loose ball and score the third goal with a curling finish.

Group standings and promotion outlook

The 3-0 result gave Switzerland 12 points from four matches in Group B1, maintaining a perfect record after earlier beating North Macedonia 3-0 in the away fixture. Direct promotion to League A was not secured on Tuesday, however, because Slovenia earned a 2-1 away victory against Scotland. Switzerland entered the campaign aiming for immediate return to the top tier following relegation from League A in the 2024-2025 edition, where they finished bottom of a group containing Spain, Denmark, and Serbia.

Yakin outlined the team's objective ahead of the fixture.

We want to return to the big stage. The players are used to playing on the top tier.