Mikel Oyarzabal nets two as Spain dominate Serbia in World Cup preparation match

Approaching the fixture with only a single loss in their previous 26 global fixtures (W21, D4), Spain recognised the value in sustaining their strong run before the FIFA World Cup (WC) tournament this summer.

Luis de la Fuente chose an impressive array of players for La Roja, and they swiftly assumed command over Serbia, despite Alex Baena sending a shot well over the crossbar from a favourable spot.

Undaunted by that miss, Spains assertive opening soon bore fruit, with Fermin Lopez delivering a sharp pass across the penalty area that Oyarzabal converted with precision into the distant post.

With a record of scoring at least two goals in 13 of their most recent 14 home internationals, the home team kept pressing forward through the opening period, as Lamine Yamal bent a shot from distance onto the upright, followed by Fermin having a driven effort stopped by Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.

The relentless pressure from one side persisted right up to the interval, and Spain rightly extended their advantage in the 43rd minute, with Oyarzabal spotting room just outside the area and firing an unerring shot past the outstretched Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, bringing his tally to 17 goal involvements across his past 10 appearances (G11, A6).

Protected by a solid two-goal margin, La Roja eased off slightly at the beginning of the second half, but Unai Simon made a fine stop from Filip Kostic. That proved to be Serbias brightest opportunity, as even after making changes to several prominent figures, Spain maintained their grip on the game.

A third strike came as the clock entered the last 20 minutes, courtesy of newcomer Victor Munoz who elegantly chipped the ball into the net with the outside of his boot after a tidy lay-off from Ferran Torres.

The managers team might have polished the result even more towards the end, with Torres and Dani Olmo both foiled by Vanja Milinkovic-Savic from short range, yet those opportunities hardly mattered as Spain comfortably saw out the remainder to claim a convincing win. Regarding Serbia, this loss represents only their second defeat on the road in seven outings (W2, D3), adding to their frustration from failing to secure a WC spot.