Our betting expert expects a dominant display from the hosts, with Serbia failing to get on the scoresheet.
Best predictions for Spain vs Serbia
- First half - Spain @ -164 with bet365
- Spain to win & Both teams to score - No @ +100 with bet365
- Spain to score over 2.5 goals @ +100 with bet365
All odds are courtesy of bet365, correct at the time of publishing and subject to change.
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Spain to take control early on
The original plan was for Spain to play Argentina in Qatar during this international break. Events in the Middle East changed that, leading to this quickly arranged friendly match. De la Fuente’s biggest priority will be to keep building momentum towards the World Cup.
Spain’s squad depth allows them to rotate their players and still defeat most European teams. They tend to start fast, and took only four minutes to score against Turkey in their last match.
Across their 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the Iberians averaged 2.00 first-half goals per game. They were leading at the interval in five of those six fixtures.
Serbia have been losing at half-time in four of their last five matches. Even a small team like Andorra took the lead against them in October. That recent record strongly suggests they will be trailing at the break in Villarreal.
- Spain vs Serbia Prediction 1: First half - Spain @ -164 with bet365
Away side to struggle offensively
While there are some doubts about Spain’s defence, their back four remain well protected. Martin Zubimendi and Rodri are two of the best defensive midfielders in the world, competing for one place. They tend to suppress opponents by dominating possession, with Pedri often controlling the game.
That makes it tough for opponents to bring their attacking players into the match. Spain won all of their first five World Cup qualifiers without conceding a goal. Only a 2-2 draw against Turkey on matchday six denied them a perfect defensive record.
Serbia averaged only 1.13 goals per game during qualifying. Given that their group featured both Andorra and Latvia, that was a very poor record. They only created 0.46 expected goals (xG) across their two matches against England.
Given that, backing Spain to win this game without conceding seems good with an implied probability of 51.3%.
- Spain vs Serbia Prediction 2: Spain to win & Both teams to score - No @ +100 with bet365
Yamal and Oyarzabal to shine in big Spain win
Lamine Yamal brings good form into this match. The Barcelona winger has registered six goals in his last seven club appearances. Having only appeared twice in World Cup qualifying due to injuries, he is certain to start.
Spain have found balance in attack, with Mikel Oyarzabal doing a good job playing as the main striker. The Real Sociedad player scored six times and provided four assists across six international appearances in the autumn. He averaged a goal contribution every 45 minutes.
Serbia’s last visit to this country ended in a 3-0 defeat in the Nations League in October 2024. They also have painful recent memories of a humiliating 5-0 home defeat against England in September. The side from the Balkans allowed 4.22 xG and seven major chances in that match.
If La Roja are even close to their best, they should win this game comfortably. Backing the hosts to net over 2.5 goals offers value.
- Spain vs Serbia Prediction 3: Spain to score over 2.5 goals @ +100 with bet365
Our analysis: Form of both teams
- Score prediction - Spain 3-0 Serbia
- Goalscorers prediction - Spain: Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal, Fermin Lopez
Spain missed out on the UEFA Nations League title after a penalty shootout defeat to Portugal last June. They responded to that setback with five consecutive wins and 19 unanswered goals in World Cup qualifying. Luis de la Fuente’s side finally booked their place at this summer’s finals with a score draw against Turkey in November.
Serbia will not travel to North America following a poor qualifying campaign. A 1-0 home defeat against rivals Albania in October was particularly damaging. They finished third in Group K, with a 2-0 defeat to England in November, ending their challenge.
Probable lineups for Spain vs Serbia
Spain expected lineup: Simon, Cucurella, Laporte, Huijsen, Porro, Zubimendi, Fermin, Pedri, Baena, Oyarzabal, Yamal
Serbia expected lineup: Petrovic, Pavlovic, Milenkovic, Veljkovic, Gudelj, Kostic, Samardzic, Lukic, Milinkovic-Savic, Mitrovic, Jovic