Al-Nassr Aims for Perfect Start Against Al-Taawoun
Al-Nassr are three wins from three, nine points on the board, and suddenly the Roshn League table already has a familiar shape. On Friday night, Ange Postecoglou sends out a side that looks built to keep that perfect start alive against an Al-Taawoun team determined to interrupt the early-season charge.
This is not a team easing its way into the campaign. Their statement so far came in that wild 3-2 victory over Al-Ettifaq, a match tilted against them when they went down to 10 men yet still dragged over the line. That comeback, that resilience, has set the tone.
Now comes the next test.
Al-Aqidi back in goal
There is one major change at the back. Nawaf Al-Aqidi returns to the starting XI for the first time this season, thrown straight into the spotlight after Brazilian keeper Bento Matheus saw red against Al-Ettifaq. Postecoglou has turned to a trusted option, asking Al-Aqidi to step in and steady things in a game where a single mistake could crack open the contest.
In front of him, the defensive line stays solid and familiar: Salem Al-Najdi, Mohamed Simakan, Abdulelah Al-Amri and Nawaf Boushal form the back four. It’s a unit that will be asked to do more than just defend; under Postecoglou, they are expected to start attacks, squeeze the pitch, and keep Al-Taawoun pinned back.
Firepower everywhere
If the back half is about control, the front half is about pure menace.
Cristiano Ronaldo keeps his place in the starting line-up for the second game running. He began against Al-Ettifaq before being withdrawn at half-time, but here he leads the line again, the focal point of an attack that bristles with pedigree.
Either side of him, Sadio Mane and Kingsley Coman bring pace, direct running and Champions League experience. It is a front three that would not look out of place in any of Europe’s top leagues, now unleashed on Saudi Arabia’s title race.
Behind them, Joao Felix operates as the creative hub. The Portuguese playmaker impressed in the comeback against Al-Ettifaq, knitting moves together and finding gaps where there seemed to be none. Alongside him in midfield, Samu Costa and Angelo Gabriel offer balance and bite, tasked with both feeding the forwards and shutting down Al-Taawoun’s attempts to break.
The XI in full
Postecoglou’s Al-Nassr line-up to face Al-Taawoun:
- Goalkeeper: Nawaf Al-Aqidi
- Defence: Salem Al-Najdi, Mohamed Simakan, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Nawaf Boushal
- Midfield: Samu Costa, Angelo Gabriel, Joao Felix
- Attack: Sadio Mane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kingsley Coman
Title intent on show
Postecoglou has been clear about what he wants: keep winning, keep the standards high, keep the record spotless. Three games, three victories is a strong opening, but the Australian coach knows how quickly momentum can evaporate if complacency creeps in.
Al-Taawoun offer a fresh examination of Al-Nassr’s credentials. Can this team, loaded with star names and already tested in adversity, show the same intensity again? With Ronaldo, Mane and Coman leading the line and Felix pulling strings behind them, Al-Nassr do not just look like contenders.
They look like a team intent on setting the pace for everyone else to chase.
