North Macedonia vs Switzerland – News and Probable Lineups

North Macedonia will be looking to break their eight-match winless streak when they host Suíça at Nacionalna Arena Tose Proeski on Saturday for their UEFA Nations League clash.

On the other hand, the visitors are eager to recover from their World Cup quarter-final defeat to Argentina.

Match overview

North Macedonia successfully achieved promotion from League C to League B in the Nations League, finishing top of their group in the 2024-25 season, securing five wins and a draw in six Group 4 matches.

The Lions followed up their impressive results with a solid World Cup qualifying campaign in Group J, securing three victories, four draws, and only suffering one defeat in their eight matches.

However, North Macedonia came up short for a playoff spot, missing out by three points following their lone loss to the eventual second-placed País de Gales, a disappointing 7-1 defeat.

Despite their Nations League successes allowing them to qualify for the World Cup playoff, they were eliminated in the semi-finals by Dinamarca with a heavy 4-0 defeat, thus ending their hopes of participating in the World Cup for the first time.

The team has struggled to recover from these setbacks, having drawn consecutive matches 0-0 against Irlanda and Bosnia & Herzegovina before falling 4-0 to Turquia in their most recent fixture.

Now, aiming to finally secure a long-awaited victory and earn their first win under manager Goce Sedloski, North Macedonia faces the tough challenge of taking on Suíça.

Suíça currently resides in League B of the Nations League, having finished last in League A Group 4 during the 2024-25 season, accumulating just two points from two draws and four losses.

However, Suíça then embarked on an impressive run, earning qualification for the 2026 World Cup through a flawless qualifying campaign.

Murat Yakin’s squad achieved four wins and two draws across their six qualifying matches, finishing at the top of Group B.

Suíça maintained their momentum in the World Cup, advancing from the group stage with two victories and a draw from three games, subsequently eliminating Argélia and Colômbia in the knockout rounds.

Sadly for the Red Crosses, their tournament came to a halt in the quarter-finals after they conceded two goals in extra time while playing with ten men, losing 3-1 to Argentina.

Yakin will be keen for his side to bounce back from that disappointing exit and to regain their winning rhythm against North Macedonia.

Team News

Bojan Mioxi and Elmin Rastoder are anticipated to lead the attack for North Macedonia, with Eljiff Elmas orchestrating play from midfield.

The seasoned Ezgjan Alioski and Bojan Iliexi are expected to provide width as wing-backs, while Enis Bardhi and Matej Gastarov are likely to be included in the central midfield positions.

For Suíça, captain Granit Xhaka will miss the entire international break, while Denis Zakaria is sidelined due to injury, and Breel Embolo is serving a suspension from the World Cup.

Winsley Boteli is likely to take Embolo’s place as the starting striker, supported by Johan Manzambi, Ardon Jashari, and Dan Ndoye.

North Macedonia probable starting XI:

Dimitriex; Stojchexi, Zajkov, Musliu; Iliexi, Gastarov, Bardhi, Alioski; Elmas; Mioxi, Rastoder

Suíça probable starting XI:

Kobel; Athekame, Akanji, Elvedi, Rodriguez; Freuler, Rieder; Love, Jashar, Gods; Embolo

North Macedonia is currently on a grim winless streak, while Suíça has displayed several strong performances in recent outings, leading us to anticipate a relatively straightforward away victory.