Serbia vs. Spain: Match Preview, Odds & Predictions

Spain will play Serbia in Thursday night's inaugural match of the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League at Belgrade's Rajko Mitic Stadium, just over seven weeks after their 2024 European Championship victory.

The reigning Nations League winners, La Roja, will be part of Group 4 in League A with Serbia, Denmark, and Switzerland.

Previous Matches and head to head

In their first match back after becoming the first country to win Euro four times, Spain defeated England 2-1 in the final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on July 14, 2024.

In Germany, La Roja justifiably prevailed as the continent's top performers. With 15 goals, they surpassed all other teams in Euro history and became the first European country to win all seven matches at a major event (both the Euros and the World Cup).

Since assuming the position in December 2022, Luis de la Fuente has guided Spain to victory in 17 of their 21 matches as head coach. With Euro 2024, he will win his second major trophy, after his success in the 2022–23 Nations League.

With 11 points from six games, Spain topped their group, which also included Portugal, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. They advanced to the semifinals, where they defeated Italy, and to the final, where they defeated Croatia on penalties after a scoreless draw.

With a current FIFA ranking of #3, Spain is a heavy favorite to win League A Group 4. They'll kick off their campaign against Serbia, a team they've played only once before, a 2-0 friendly victory in May 2012.

For the first time since 2000, Serbia participated in the European Championship as an independent country. Many predicted that they would go beyond the group stage, but they ended up disappointingly disappointing.

In fact, after losing all six of Dragan Stojkovic's matches as Serbia coach in major competitions, the Eagles finished last in Group C at Euro 2024 with a total of two points from their matches against England, Denmark, and Slovenia.

In contrast, Serbia's prior Nations League campaign was more fruitful; they won four of their six matches to finish first in Group 4, which included Norway, Slovenia, and Sweden, and were therefore promoted to League A.

In the previous three Nations League competitions, Serbia have gone from League C to League A, with a record of nine victories, six draws, and just three losses. They are ranked 32nd in the world by FIFA.

Spain, who have only lost twice in their past 21 internationals since the start of 2023, will be the Eagles' toughest opponent in Thursday's first match, making it unlikely that they will win League A Group 4.

Serbia x Spain Team News

As a result of injuries to Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Aleksandar Mitrovic, as well as Dusan Tadic's retirement from international football, Stojkovic's 25-man roster is noticeably devoid of two vital players: Filip Kostic, a flexible winger, and striker Dusan Vlahovic.

Stojkovic has called up five players without caps, including right defender Kosta Nedeljkovic of Aston Villa, midfielder Milan Aleksic of Sunderland, and forward Mihailo Ivanovic of Millwall. They will all be looking to get some playing time on Thursday.

With Mitrovic out with an injury, Luka Jovic will likely start in the starting lineup as the team's primary striker. Sasa Lukic and Marko Grujic or Ivan Ilic might form a midfield partnership.

Concerning Spain, 38-year-old Jesus Navas has decided to retire from international football, while Unai Simon (hand), Mikel Merino (shoulder), Alvaro Morata (thigh), and Fermin Lopez (muscle) are all out with injuries.

Pepelu, a 26-year-old midfielder from Valencia, has got his first senior call-up and is in line to make his debut, while star midfielder Rodri has not played a single game for Manchester City this season, but he is healthy and eligible for selection.

With Simon out with an injury, Arsenal's David Raya might start in goal. With Morata out with an injury, Mikel Oyarzabal will likely start up front, with Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal providing assistance on the wings.

Our Predictions:

Spain to win @ 1.55 on Sky247.ng

Serbia is missing a number of important attackers and may struggle to overcome a formidable La Roja team, but if Spain can resume their great performance from Euro 2024 on Thursday, they should have no trouble winning.

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