The absence of Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka dominated the pre-match headlines, but the Swiss showed no signs of missing their captain in the opening stages as they pinned North Macedonia inside their own final third.
Zeki Amdouni was the first to try his luck, rifling an effort into the side netting before Dan Ndoye hammered a near-post effort into the midriff of Stole Dimitrievski.
Chances continued to come and go for the visitors, who spurned another when Ndoye delayed taking a shot inside the area and saw his effort heroically blocked at the last second by Visar Musliu.
Murat Yakin's men were eventually able to break North Macedonian resistance midway through the first half, as Amdouni's cushioned header was controlled and fired into the corner by Remo Freuler.
Swiss pressure was relentless for the most part, and Ndoye ought to have doubled their advantage when he stepped in off the left and unleashed a ferocious effort that cannoned against the far post.
Only a stunning one-handed Dimitrievski save prevented Johan Manzambi from doubling Switzerland’s advantage, but he was powerless to deny Amdouni on the stroke of half-time as he swept home Zachary Athekame’s cut back.
The hosts’ mountain looked to have become insurmountable two minutes after the break when Matej Gashtarov was dismissed for a challenge on Manzambi, but a swift check of the pitchside monitor saw referee Daniel Schlager downgrade his initial decision to a yellow card.
Switzerland should’ve been out of sight by the hour mark, but Ndoye was denied by Dimitrievski when he raced through one-on-one.
That proved to be little more than a temporary reprieve for North Macedonia, who soon did find themselves three goals behind when Amdouni's dancing feet inside the area were too much for the Lynxes defence to deal with and he steered an effort into the corner.
The Burnley forward ought to have completed his hat-trick 10 minutes from time when he was left unmarked in the area, but Dimitrievski thwarted him from 12 yards.
Amdouni’s early withdrawal denied him the chance of completing his treble in the closing stages, but a trio of Swiss points was all that mattered tonight as they moved to the summit of Group B1. Defeat continued a worrying downward trend for North Macedonia, who are now winless in nine matches.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Zeki Amdouni (Switzerland)