LUCERNE. Switzerland completed a perfect October window on Tuesday night, beating North Macedonia 3-0 in Lucerne to make it four wins from four in the Nations League and close in on promotion to League A.
Fabian Rieder opened the scoring two minutes before half time, Johan Manzambi doubled the lead in the 73rd minute and Dan Ndoye added the third nine minutes from the end, in front of 15,730 spectators. The result leaves Murat Yakin’s side top of group B1 with twelve points, five clear of Slovenia, while North Macedonia remain without a point or a goal in the campaign.
Control without spectacle
The pattern was set early and never seriously disturbed. Switzerland moved the ball patiently against a visiting defence that had arrived to limit damage, and the breakthrough, when it came, was the one moment of incision in a first half of territory without chances. Rieder’s left footed finish, his first goal of the competition, rewarded pressure rather than inspiration.
The second half belonged to the next generation. Manzambi, played in by Ndoye, finished right footed for his first goal of the tournament, and Ndoye then scored himself, his second of the campaign after the winner against Slovenia on Saturday. Gregor Kobel, beaten for the only time this autumn at the weekend, was barely called upon.
November decides
The arithmetic is now simple. Two rounds remain in November, and Switzerland need one more result to secure promotion to League A and the seeding advantages that come with it. For the World Cup quarter finalists, the league below has so far offered exactly what Yakin demanded when the squad gathered: professionalism, points and no drama.
The manager’s satisfaction was measured afterwards, in keeping with a campaign that has conceded one goal in four matches. The injuries that shadowed the September squad have eased, the goals are being shared across the forward line, and the November finale arrives with Switzerland holding every card they wanted to hold.
For North Macedonia, beaten in Skopje on the opening night and scoreless since, the group has become a survival exercise. For Switzerland, it has become something rarer in the Nations League: a procession with a purpose. One more step in November, and League A is theirs.