Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing for Al-Nassr against Al-Taawoun tonight?

Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to start when Al-Nassr travel to face Al-Taawoun in the Saudi Pro League on Friday, December 30. The Knights of Najd will want to build on their impressive 5-2 victory over Al-Ittihad in midweek.

Ronaldo once again played a vital role in Al-Nassr's victory in the league. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner scored two penalties, one in each half to help his side claim their third consecutive win in the league.

Cristiano Ronaldo will continue to be a part of Luis Castro's side when they take on Al-Taawoun on Friday evening. The former Manchester United star will most likely be partnered alongside Sadio Mane and Anderson Talisca to form a three-man attack.

The trio have played a lot of games recently together. Both Mane and Talisca were the two other goalscorers against Al-Ittihad on Tuesday, with the former scoring a brace.

Despite three wins on the bounce, Al-Nassr remain 10 points behind league leaders Al-Hilal as we enter the second half of the 2023-24 season. They are second in the standings, having picked up 43 points from 18 matches, and have a game in hand over their title rivals.

Al-Taawoun, on the other hand, are fourth in the standings, having accumulated 34 points from their first 18 games this season.

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How did Cristiano Ronaldo perform for Al-Nassr against Al-Taawoun earlier this season?

Al-Nassr played Al-Taawoun in only their second game of the 2023-24 season in the Saudi Pro League. They did, however, suffer a 2-0 defeat at home on that occasion.

Cristiano Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes in that game and did not make a single goalscoring contribution. He had just two shots on target and had one shot blocked. The Portugal skipper also missed one big chance in the match.

Ronaldo had 42 touches in the game and ended with a pass completion rate of 90 percent. Despite the positives, the superstar forward was caught offside twice and lost possession on seven separate occasions.

It is worth mentioning that Cristiano Ronaldo has not scored against Al-Taawoun in the two games he has played against them. He did, however, provide both the assists in a 2-1 win for Al-Nassr last season. Abdulrahman Ghareeb and Abdullah Madu were the two goalscorers in the game played back in February 2023.

Cristiano Ronaldo has contributed 23 goals and 11 assists in 24 appearances across all competitions this season.