Luis de la Fuente's team comes into this match fresh off a 1-0 win against Denmark, while Serbia is riding high after a solid 2-0 victory over Switzerland, bringing them to four points in the group.
Spain wasn't at their best against Denmark, and for a while, it seemed like they might settle for a draw. However, Martin Zubimendi scored the only goal in the 79th minute, allowing La Roja to climb to the top of the group with seven points from their first three matches. They will aim for 10 points before their final two games against Denmark and Switzerland next month.
As the reigning Nations League champions, having won the 2022-23 tournament by defeating Croatia in the final, Spain is eager to maintain their strong form. They have remained unbeaten since a 1-0 loss to Colombia in March, though they were held to a goalless draw by Serbia in their previous encounter last month.
Spain is dealing with some injury issues, including the absence of Barcelona's rising star Lamine Yamal, who picked up a minor injury against Denmark.
On the other hand, Serbia didn’t make it past the group stage at Euro 2024, finishing with just two points from three matches. However, they have shown promise in the Nations League.
After a goalless draw with Spain in their opening match, they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Denmark but bounced back with an impressive 2-0 win over Switzerland, thanks to goals from Aleksandar Mitrovic and an own goal by Nico Elvedi.
Currently sitting third in the group, Serbia is just two points behind second-placed Denmark and three behind leaders Spain. A victory on Tuesday would put them in a strong position as they head into their final two group matches in November.
Despite their mixed results, Serbia has only lost one of their last five matches in all competitions. Their first encounter with Spain back in May 2012 ended in a 2-0 defeat, with Adrian Lopez and Santi Cazorla scoring for the Spaniards.
INURIES & SUSPENSION
Spain is currently without several key players due to injuries, including Unai Simon, Dani Carvajal, Robin Le Normand, Rodri, Dani Olmo, Gavi, and Nico Williams. Additionally, young star Lamine Yamal has also dropped out of the squad after picking up an injury in the last match.
Alex Baena is likely to step in for Yamal, but the rest of the lineup may remain unchanged from the team that faced Denmark, with Alvaro Morata who has scored 36 goals for Spain leading the attack.
On the Serbia side, head coach Dragan Stojkovic might stick with the same starting XI that delivered an impressive win against Switzerland, with Aleksandar Mitrovic continuing as the focal point in attack.
Mitrovic has an impressive record, with 59 goals in 95 caps, and he's been in great form for Al Hilal this season, scoring 14 goals in 11 appearances across all competitions.
Nikola Milenkovic and Sasa Lukic are expected to retain their places in the lineup, and despite being substituted at halftime in the match against Switzerland, Porto's Marko Grujic is anticipated to feature in the starting XI as well.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Spain possible starting lineup:
Raya; Porro, Vivian, Laporte, Cucurella; Zubimendi, Ruiz; Baena, Pedri, Oyarzabal; Morata
Serbia possible starting lineup:
Rajkovic; Erakovic, Milenkovic, Pavlovic; Nedeljkovic, Maksimovic, Grujic, Biramcevic; Samardzic, Mitrovic, Lukic
EXPERT PREDICTION
Spain 2-1 Serbia
This could be a challenging match for Spain, as Serbia is known for being tough to break down, and the hosts will be missing several key players. A draw wouldn’t be surprising, but we believe De la Fuente's side will find a way to secure a vital three points.
