Al-Nassr Aims for Perfect Start Against Al-Taawoun with Star XI
Ange Postecoglou has shown his hand early for Friday night. Al-Nassr are three wins from three in the Roshn League, and the Australian coach is not easing off as Al-Taawoun arrive for round four.
Nine points. Ten men for most of a wild 3-2 comeback against Al-Ettifaq. A squad stacked with firepower. Al-Nassr come into this one playing like a side that expects to stay perfect.
Al-Aqidi back in goal
There is one enforced change at the back. Nawaf Al-Aqidi returns between the posts for his first start of the season, stepping in after Brazilian keeper Bento Matheus was sent off in the dramatic win over Al-Ettifaq.
It is a big night for Al-Aqidi, but Postecoglou has surrounded him with a settled back line: Salem Al-Najdi and Nawaf Boushal take the full-back roles, with Mohamed Simakan and Abdulelah Al-Amri forming the central defensive pairing.
Ronaldo leads a fearsome front line
Up the pitch, the names speak for themselves.
Cristiano Ronaldo keeps his place in the starting XI for the second straight match, having begun against Al-Ettifaq before being withdrawn at half-time. This time, he spearheads an attacking trident that would not look out of place in any major European league.
On one side, Senegal star Sadio Mane. On the other, France’s Kingsley Coman. Ronaldo through the middle. Three elite forwards, one clear brief: keep the winning run alive.
Behind them, the creative burden falls on Joao Felix, who impressed in the comeback against Al-Ettifaq and again starts as the side’s main link between midfield and attack. Alongside him in the engine room are Samu Costa and Angelo Gabriel, tasked with both feeding the front three and protecting the back four.
Al-Nassr starting XI vs 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
Postecoglou is not hiding his intent. Three straight wins have Al-Nassr flying, but the visit of Al-Taawoun is another measure of their title credentials. With Ronaldo, Mane, Coman and Joao Felix all on the pitch from the start, the message is simple: the perfect record is there to be defended – and extended.
