Can Switzerland dominate again? Prediction for Switzerland vs North Macedonia – 06.10.2026
Switzerland will host North Macedonia on Tuesday, October 6, at the thermoplan arena in Lucerne in Matchday 4 of UEFA Nations League B Group 1. Murat Yakin's team approach the game with a perfect nine points and an 8-1 goal difference, while North Macedonia sit bottom of the section with no points and no goals scored. The first meeting between the sides, played in Skopje on September 26, ended in a convincing 3-0 Swiss victory.
Switzerland: the promotion campaign is going exactly to plan
Switzerland's main objective in this Nations League campaign is an immediate return to League A, and the opening three rounds could hardly have gone better. They began with a 3-0 victory away to North Macedonia, repeated the same scoreline at Hampden Park against Scotland, and then came from behind to defeat Slovenia 2-1 in Lucerne. Yakin's side have therefore collected nine points from nine and already built a significant advantage over the rest of the group.
The latest victory also demonstrated the team's ability to react when a match does not follow the expected script. Slovenia scored after only two minutes, but Switzerland equalised through an Erik Janža own goal before Dan Ndoye completed the turnaround before half-time. The hosts controlled long stretches of the game and created enough opportunities to make the margin even more comfortable.
There are important absences in the current Swiss camp. Granit Xhaka is not with the squad, while Denis Zakaria and Ruben Vargas were ruled out through injury. Nevertheless, Switzerland have coped comfortably without them. Yakin has already confirmed that three or four changes are expected against North Macedonia, with workload management becoming increasingly important after four international matches in a short period. Fabian Rieder is among the players who could move into the starting eleven.
The rotation should not necessarily weaken Switzerland. Players such as Winsley Boteli, Djibril Sow, Fabian Rieder, Eray Cömert and Sascha Britschgi give Yakin enough depth to refresh his team while maintaining a clear superiority in individual quality.
North Macedonia: still searching for their first goal
North Macedonia's Nations League campaign has developed in exactly the opposite direction. Goce Sedloski's team lost 0-3 to Switzerland, 0-2 away to Slovenia and 0-2 at home to Scotland. After three rounds, they remain without either a point or a goal, with seven conceded.
The attacking problems go beyond this tournament. North Macedonia have failed to score in all seven of their senior internationals in 2026. Their latest defeat to Scotland was particularly worrying: despite having more possession than their opponents, Sedloski's side failed to register a single shot on target.
Personnel problems have not made the situation any easier. Defender Nikola Serafimov missed the current Nations League window through injury, while Darko Churlinov was unable to join the squad because of administrative issues. Sedloski has therefore had to rely heavily on experienced figures such as Stole Dimitrievski, Enis Bardhi, Eljif Elmas and Bojan Miovski, while also integrating several newcomers.
Against Switzerland, the visitors are likely to defend with a compact back three or back five and try to limit space around their penalty area. The problem is that the same approach did not prevent the Swiss from scoring three times in Skopje less than two weeks ago.
Possible lineups
- Switzerland: Kobel – Athekame, Cömert, Akanji, Britschgi – Jashari, Sow – Aebischer, Manzambi, Ndoye – Boteli.
- North Macedonia: Dimitrievski – Mladenovski, Musliu, Meliqi – Ilievski, Gashtarov, Stankovski, Herrera – Bardhi, Elmas – Miovski.
Rieder is also a serious option in Switzerland's attacking midfield, with Yakin openly suggesting that he could be used centrally.
Match facts and head-to-head record
- Switzerland have won all three Nations League matches, scoring eight goals and conceding only once.
- North Macedonia have lost all three group matches with a combined score of 0-7.
- North Macedonia have not scored in seven consecutive internationals in 2026.
- Switzerland won the first-ever meeting between the teams 3-0 in Skopje on September 26.
- North Macedonia failed to record a shot on target in their latest 0-2 defeat to Scotland.
Swiss depth should make another comfortable victory likely: Switzerland vs North Macedonia prediction
The difference between these teams has been enormous during the opening weeks of the Nations League. Switzerland are playing with confidence, create chances consistently and have already demonstrated that even major personnel absences do not prevent them from controlling matches. The prospect of several changes to the starting eleven adds a little uncertainty, but it also gives hungry squad players an opportunity against the weakest team in the group.
North Macedonia, meanwhile, are struggling badly in the final third. Seven consecutive matches without a goal cannot be explained simply by bad luck, and their performance against Scotland again showed how difficult it is for Sedloski's team to create clear chances against organised opposition.
The first meeting finished 3-0, and the return fixture is now being played in Lucerne, where Switzerland should enjoy even greater territorial dominance. North Macedonia can keep numbers behind the ball, but sustaining that resistance for 90 minutes against a Swiss squad with fresh attacking options looks extremely difficult. A scoreline in the region of 3-0 or 4-0 appears realistic.
Prediction: Switzerland Asian handicap (-2.5)
