Under pressure from Spain’s Marc Gasol, Sofoklis Schortsanitis of Greece passes the ball during their FIBA world basketball championship game Sunday. Spain won, 80-72, and will meet Serbia in the quarterfinals. (Reuters)

ISTANBUL (Reuters) — Holders Spain and dark horses Serbia reached the world championship quarter-finals, winning in contrasting fashion on Saturday to set up a repeat of the 2009 European final.

Spain, who beat Serbia comfortably last year to capture their first European championship, will start as favorites again after coasting to an 80-72 victory over Greece, the team they beat in the 2006 world final.

Serbia's young team, though, will be brimming with confidence after a dramatic 73-72 triumph over Balkan neighbours Croatia took them into the last eight in only their third major tournament as an independent nation.

Captain Nenad Krstic scored 16 points and guard Aleksandar Rasic added 15 with three assists to lead Serbia to an emotional victory in an enthralling rollercoaster game where the lead changed hands 13 times.

Dropped for last year's European championship, Rasic was the architect of his team's win with cool shooting from the foul line in a heart-stopping last minute after counterpart Marko Popovic missed an important free throw at the other end.

''I know people back home are sick and tired of our narrow defeats in big games but we left everything on the court and all I can say is I am sad we didn't win,'' a dejected Popovic told Croatian television after recording a game-high 21 points.

After losing two of their five Group D games in the preliminary stage, Spain were back to their best against Greece as they overcame a jittery start to underline their title credentials.

Both teams played exceptional basketball, ranging from exquisite set plays to slam dunks and lethal three-point shooting, before Spain took control in the fourth quarter and Greece ran out of steam.