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Cristiano Ronaldo should start when Al-Nassr play host to Abha FC in the Saudi Pro League on Friday (October 6) at Al-Awwal Park. The Knights of Najd will want to continue with their excellent form in the league at their home ground.
Al-Nassr come into the game on the back of a 3-1 win over Tajik side Istiklol on Monday in the AFC Champions League. Ronaldo netted his first goal in the tournament with Anderson Talisca netting a brace as well.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been in some excellent form across all competitions in his first full season in Saudi Arabia. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner should therefore start and lead the attack against Abha on Friday evening.
Ronaldo could be partnered alongside the likes of Talisca, Sadio Mane, or Abdulrahman Ghareeb to form a front-three. Talisca could be given a nod alongside the Portugal superstar simply based on his current form in front of goal.
Al-Nassr have been in excellent form in the Saudi Pro League and have recovered following their disappointing start to the 2023-24 season. They suffered two consecutive defeats to open their campaign but have now registered six straight victories to see themselves fourth in the standings on 18 points.
Abha, on the other hand, are 16th and in the relegation zone following a run of four consecutive defeats. They have picked up just six points so far this season and now face a daunting task against Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr.
It is fair to say that Ronaldo has been one of the main reasons why Luis Castro's side have picked up form in the league. The former Manchester United star has scored in each of his last six games which has coincided with Al-Nassr winning all of those matches.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 10 goals and provided five assists from a total of seven league matches this season. This includes a hat-trick against Al-Fateh back in August. He has contributed 11 goals and six assists in 10 matches across all competitions.
How did Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo do against Abha FC last season?
Despite only arriving in Saudi Arabia towards the second half of the 2022-23 season, Cristiano Ronaldo has still faced Abha FC on two separate occasions.
His first appearance against Abha came in the quarterfinals of the King Cup back in March 2023. Al-Nassr picked up a 3-1 win on that occasion but Ronaldo failed to make any goal contribution in the game. Sami Al-Najei, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, and Mohammed Maran were the goalscorers on that occasion.
Cristiano Ronaldo played against the same opponents just a few days later in the Saudi Pro League. This time the Riyadh-based side picked up a narrow 2-1 win with Ronaldo scoring a free-kick.
