Spain vs Serbia: Preview, Predictions, and Lineups Revealed
The cancellation of the Finalissima with Argentina forced Spain to reshuffle plans. The federation quickly scheduled two friendlies to prepare for the 2026 World Cup. The first of those matches takes place against Serbia on Friday, March 27 at La Cerámica in Villarreal.
Match details
- City: Villarreal, Spain.
- Stadium: La Cerámica.
- Date: Friday, 27 March.
- Time: 16:00 US Eastern, 14:00 Mexico, 21:00 Spain.
- Referee: Luis Godinho (Portugal).
Broadcast and streaming
Broadcasters vary by country. In the United States, Univision, TUDN, Fubo, ViX Premium, FOX Sports and Telemundo/Peacock hold rights. In Mexico, viewers can watch on TUDN, ViX, Azteca 7 and Canal 5. In Spain the game will air on La 1 de TVE and RTVE Play.
Spain team news
Luis de la Fuente has gathered 27 players at Las Rozas. The coaching staff will observe the group across a nine-day camp. Joan García made his first appearance in training with the senior squad.
Lamine Yamal, Aymeric Laporte and Marcos Llorente trained under load management. Dean Huijsen publicly acknowledged he needs to improve his recent form. Marc Cucurella stressed Spain’s ambition to fight for a World Cup title.
After the canceled Argentina fixture, friendlies with Serbia and Egypt filled the international window. De la Fuente will use these matches to shape the final roster for the USA 2026 tournament.
Serbia team news
Veljko Paunovic took charge in October 2025. His squad includes several established European players. Names called up include Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Luka Jovic and Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Also present are Filip Kostic, Dejan Stankovic, Nemanja Gudelj and Veljko Birmancevic. Dusan Vlahovic is absent due to adductor surgery performed in December. Serbia arrives after a 2-0 loss to England and a later 2-1 win over Latvia.
Head-to-head and recent form
Spain have the superior record in recent meetings. Historically the sides met with Spain winning twice and one draw. The most recent clash ended 3-0 to Spain on 15 October 2024 in the Nations League.
Spain’s last Nations League fixtures saw a 2-2 draw with Turkey and a 4-0 win over Georgia in November. Serbia’s qualifying run ended after the defeat to England.
Lineups and tactical outlook
This Spain vs Serbia preview looks at likely setups and risks for both teams. Spain should field a 4-3-3 to control possession. Serbia are expected to line up in a 4-3-1-2 to exploit second balls and set plays.
Probable Spain XI (4-3-3)
- Unai Simón
- Marcos Llorente
- Pau Cubarsí
- Aymeric Laporte
- Marc Cucurella
- Pedri
- Rodri
- Álex Baena
- Lamine Yamal
- Mikel Oyarzábal
- Dani Olmo
Probable Serbia XI (4-3-1-2)
- Predrag Rajkovic
- Strahinja Pavlovic
- Nikola Milenkovic
- Strahinja Erakovic
- Aleksa Terzic
- Nemanja Gudelj
- Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
- Sasa Lukic
- Filip Kostic
- Aleksandar Mitrovic
- Luka Jovic
Predictions
Filmogaz.com rates Spain as clear favorites. The squad has greater depth and variety than Serbia. Expect Spain to impose tempo and dominate possession.
My prediction: Spain 3-0 Serbia. The home side should control the game and score multiple goals while testing fringe players for the World Cup roster.
