North Macedonia and Switzerland will meet at Tose Proeski Arena in Skopje on Saturday evening, as both sides begin their Nations League Group B1 campaigns.
Switzerland arrives after reaching the World Cup quarterfinals, while North Macedonia is looking to end a run of four matches without a goal.
Football Prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Best odds: 28/25
North Macedonia
North Macedonia has struggled badly for goals in recent internationals.
They lost 4-0 to Denmark in the World Cup playoffs, drew 0-0 with both Republic of Ireland and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and then suffered another 4-0 defeat against Turkey in June.
Those results leave Goce Sedloski with problems at both ends. The attack has offered too little, while stronger opponents have punished the team heavily when the defense has lost its shape.
All four of those matches were away from home. North Macedonia has generally kept games much closer in Skopje, including 1-1 draws with Belgium and Wales during last year’s World Cup qualifying campaign.
In fact, five of the last six home internationals produced fewer than three goals.
That is the strongest reason to expect a tighter contest here. Sedloski should want his midfield close to the defense, with Eljif Elmas carrying the ball forward when the hosts get a chance to break.
Bojan Miovski will need support if North Macedonia is to threaten regularly. Leaving him alone against Switzerland’s central defenders would make it difficult to hold possession and relieve pressure.
The hosts can also look to Enis Bardhi at set pieces. A few well-delivered balls into the box may offer a better chance of scoring than committing several players forward and opening up the game.
North Macedonia Team News
Nikola Serafimov will miss the international window through injury.
Darko Churlinov is also unavailable because of an administrative issue involving his residency and work documents in Poland.
Stole Dimitrievski should start in goal, with Visar Musliu and Gjoko Zajkov among the experienced defensive options. Ezgjan Alioski can provide width on the left.
Elmas, Bardhi and Miovski are in the squad, while Agon Elezi and Jani Atanasov give Sedloski options in central midfield.
The coach has selected a larger group for four matches in 11 days and has said that several players will get opportunities. For this opener, the experienced players should carry much of the responsibility.
Switzerland
Switzerland has more reason to feel confident after a productive summer.
Murat Yakin’s team beat Bosnia and Herzegovina and Canada in the World Cup group stage, then defeated Algeria 2-0 and advanced past Colombia on penalties following a goalless draw. Their run ended with a 3-1 extra-time defeat against Argentina in the quarterfinals.
The clean sheets against Algeria and Colombia showed that Switzerland can stay organized when a match becomes tight. That should help against a home side which may spend long periods defending behind the ball.
Granit Xhaka’s absence changes the midfield, though. Switzerland must replace his passing from deeper positions, and that could make it harder to move the ball quickly enough to pull North Macedonia’s defense apart.
Dan Ndoye can stretch the game with his running, while Breel Embolo gives the visitors a target through the middle. Yakin should still expect his team to create the better chances.
The concern for an under 2.5 goals selection is an early Swiss breakthrough. North Macedonia’s heavy away defeats show what can happen when it loses control of a match.
At home, the hosts have usually stayed competitive. Switzerland may have to spend much of the evening working for space, especially if the opening half remains goalless.
Switzerland Team News
Xhaka will miss this international camp following a joint decision with the Swiss federation.
Noah Okafor is also unavailable after announcing that he will not play for the national team under Yakin.
Gregor Kobel should start in goal, with Manuel Akanji and Nico Elvedi available in central defense. Ricardo Rodriguez offers experience on the left.
Remo Freuler and Ardon Jashari are options for the central midfield positions, with Denis Zakaria and Djibril Sow also included in the selection.
Ndoye, Fabian Rieder and Embolo should feature in the attacking plans. Yakin has also called up newcomers Winsley Boteli and Sascha Britschgi, giving him fresh options during the extended international window.
North Macedonia vs Switzerland key factors to consider
- North Macedonia has failed to score in its last four internationals.
- Five of North Macedonia’s last six home matches finished with under 2.5 goals.
- The hosts drew 1-1 with both Belgium and Wales in last year’s home World Cup qualifiers.
- Switzerland reached the World Cup quarterfinals.
- Switzerland kept clean sheets against Algeria and Colombia in the knockout rounds.
- North Macedonia is without Serafimov and Churlinov.
- Switzerland will be without Xhaka and Okafor.
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Conclusion
Switzerland deserves to start as the favorite, but North Macedonia’s home record suggests a competitive match with relatively few clear chances.
The hosts need to stop giving opponents easy opportunities before they can solve their own scoring problems. Keeping the midfield compact and waiting for counterattacks should give them the best chance of taking something from this game.
Switzerland has enough quality to win, although Xhaka’s absence may slow the passing that usually helps it break down a deep defense.
A narrow away victory looks plausible, with under 2.5 goals the preferred selection.
Football Prediction: Under 2.5 goals
