Who will prevent a false start?
Two German group opponents battle it out in our Spain vs. Serbia tip for important points to advance to the main round. Both nations missed out on this in one of the two previous major tournaments. The Iberians and the Eagles have set their sights much higher for the 17th edition.
Spain is one of the great nations in handball, but has been undergoing a transformation for years. Head coach Jordi Ribera knows from his own experience how high he can lead the eighth-placed team in the unofficial world rankings. However, that remains a thing of the past in our Spain vs. Serbia prediction.
Ribera took over as Spanish national coach in 2016. He led the Iberians to three consecutive European Championship finals and finally won the trophy in 2018 and 2020. Ribera also won medals at the Olympics and the World Championships during his tenure.
The Spain vs. Serbia odds seem a little like relics of those successful years. We think the two-time European champions’ probability of winning is a little too high at the best sports betting providers. We expect the match to be just as close as the two games during the European Championship qualifiers, when both nations won one game each.
Interestingly, the Serbian coaching bench is also occupied by a man with a Spanish passport. Raul Gonzales has been in charge of the Eagles since last summer. He himself is familiar with the big European stage, having played for Spain in 57 matches and scored 55 goals.
Before joining the Serbian national team, Gonzales coached French top-flight side PSG for several years (2018–2025). The 56-year-old has plenty of experience, as does his squad.
Spain – Serbia Head-to-head comparison / H2H statistics
We have already hinted at this in the previous lines. Both teams were in the same group during the European Championship qualifiers and met in two direct duels. Serbia narrowly won the home game (27:25), handing the Iberians their only defeat in the qualifiers.
The Eagles almost came out on top in the return match as well. Once again, the 2012 European Championship runners-up pushed the two-time European champions to their limits. In the end, the Serbian team was narrowly defeated (26:28).
Spain – Serbia Tip
Since the surprise silver medal at the 2012 European Championship on home soil, many coaches have tried to lift the Serbian national team back to this level. Raul Gonzales is the next coach to give it a try. Following this tremendous result, the Eagles have not managed to finish in the top 10 at a European Championship.
Spain should be particularly wary of the Serbian defense, which conceded the fewest goals (159) in European Championship qualifying group 4. Offensively, Spain (196) performed much better than the Eagles (176).
We do not expect a clear victory for the Iberians, as Gonzales’ team put up too much resistance during the European Championship qualifiers. Since May 2024, these two teams have met three times, and Serbia has not lost any of those three matches by more than two goals. The Eagles even emerged victorious twice (25:22, 27:25).
