North Macedonia Overpowers Luxembourg in EuroBasket Qualifier

Luxembourg, July 5, 2026 — North Macedonia secured a crucial 80–66 victory over Luxembourg in a Europe Basketball Championship Qualifier on Sunday evening, keeping their hopes of reaching the continental tournament firmly alive. The visitors controlled the tempo from the opening quarter and never trailed, leaning on a balanced scoring attack and tough defense to pull away in the second half.

Match Overview

The game, played at a neutral venue due to ongoing scheduling adjustments, was a must-win for both sides in a tight qualifying group. North Macedonia entered the contest level on points with several rivals, while Luxembourg needed a home-floor edge to stay in contention. However, the Macedonian squad demonstrated superior depth and execution, outscoring the hosts in three of four quarters.

Luxembourg showed fight early, matching North Macedonia basket for basket in the first period, which ended 18–18. But the visitors' press defense forced turnovers that turned into fast-break points in the second quarter, building a 38–32 halftime lead. After the break, North Macedonia stretched the margin to double digits and never looked back, with a decisive 24–14 third quarter effectively sealing the outcome.

Key Performers

• North Macedonia backcourt: The visitors' guard combination of Aleksandar Petrov (17 points, 6 assists) and Marko Ilievski (14 points, 4 rebounds) controlled the pace and broke down Luxembourg's zone defense. Petrov's late three-pointers in the third quarter were particularly damaging.
• Luxembourg's frontcourt effort: Forward Tom Schmitz led the home side with 18 points and 8 rebounds, battling hard inside against taller opponents. Point guard Max Hoffmann added 12 points but was limited to 3 assists due to pressure.
• Bench contributions: North Macedonia's reserves outscored Luxembourg's 28–10, a telling gap that reflected the visitors' superior depth.

Tactical Story

North Macedonia head coach Goran Srbinovski employed a switching defense that disrupted Luxembourg's pick-and-roll game. The hosts shot just 38% from the field and committed 15 turnovers, many leading to easy transition buckets. Offensively, the Macedonians moved the ball patiently, recording 21 assists on 30 made field goals, and dominated the offensive glass with 12 second-chance points.

Luxembourg stayed within striking distance for three quarters thanks to gritty interior defense, but their perimeter shooting went cold (5-of-18 from three-point range). Without consistent outside scoring, they could not close the gap when North Macedonia extended its lead.

Standings Impact

With this victory, North Macedonia improved to a 3-2 record in Group C, moving into second place behind group leaders Slovakia. Luxembourg fell to 1-4 and now face a steep uphill climb with only two games remaining. The top two teams from each group advance to the EuroBasket 2027 finals.

Both teams will resume qualifying action in August, with North Macedonia hosting bottom-placed Malta and Luxembourg traveling to face group leaders Slovakia in a must-win encounter.