Cristiano Ronaldo’s next game with Al Nassr after Al Taawoun defeat

Victory in the Arab Club Champions Cup (ACCC) ensured the ideal tone was set by Al Nassr heading into the start of the 2023/24 Saudi Pro League season.

After missing out on the league title in 2022/23 to Al Ittihad, Cristiano Ronaldo is determined to return Al Nassr to the summit of Saudi football, but the form his side displayed throughout the summer is yet to manifest at the start of the domestic season.

As he so often does, Ronaldo turned up when it mattered most to get Al Nassr over the line in the ACCC final against Al Hilal. His brace returned silverware to Riyadh, but the Portuguese great will be hoping his side’s summer success is just the start of a stellar season.

However, the opening act to Al Nassr’s 2023/24 Saudi Pro League season hasn’t quite gone to plan. Two games, two defeats; Ronaldo’s men are already six points adrift of the current champions. A resurgence must occur swiftly before they’re prematurely left behind in the title race.

Ronaldo will next take to the field with Al Nassr on Tuesday evening as they host Shabab Al Ahli in the AFC Champions League play-offs. Shabab Al Ahli won the UAE Pro League last season and will be a tough out for Ronaldo’s side, who must be low on confidence following back-to-back defeats.

The winner of Tuesday’s game will qualify for the AFC Champions League group stages.

Al Nassr’s next league game is scheduled for Friday 25 August and is a 19:00 (BST) kick-off. Ronaldo’s side are visiting Al Fateh, who have collected four points from their first two games.

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Ronaldo was fairly prolific during his first season in Saudi Arabia. He scored 14 times in 16 Saudi Pro League games.

The 38-year-old then scored six times in as many games during Al Nassr’s successful Arab Club Champions Cup campaign. After playing 29 minutes in the group stage stalemate with Al Shabab, Ronaldo scored in every game before bagging a brace in the final.

However, he’s yet to get off the mark in 2023/24 through two games. Ronaldo was absent for Al Nassr’s defeat to Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq but was back in action against Al Taawoun. He played the entire contest and registered four shots as Al Nassr dominated proceedings. Two of his efforts were on target but he failed to get on the scoresheet as Al Taawoun prevailed 2-0.

Al Nassr 2023/24 Saudi Pro League results