Comments and predictions for Al-Nassr vs Al-Taawoun: Ronaldo's fury

Latest Al-Nassr vs Al-Taawoun force information

Al-Nassr have no new injuries after their last game and could welcome back captain Cristiano Ronaldo. This could see Pioli use a 4-4-2 formation, with Ronaldo partnering Jhon Duran – who scored twice against Al Okhdood.

Marcelo Brozovic – who also scored in that game – will miss out through suspension after picking up enough bookings.

On the away team side, although Andrei Girotto scored an own goal that caused the home team to lose the previous match, the Brazilian center-back is still likely to start alongside Waleed Al-Ahmed.

Three players Mailson, Rakan Al Tulayhi and Awn Al Slaluli are still recovering and their ability to play is uncertain.

Latest predicted lineup for Al-Nassr vs Al-Taawoun

Al-Nassr:
Bento; Ghanam, Simakan, Alawjami, Boushal; Mane, Otavio, Al Sulaiheem, Yahya; Duran, Ronaldo

Al-Taawoun:
Atiah; Mahrazi, Girotto, Al-Ahmed, Al Nasser; El Mahdioui, Al Kuwaykibi, Barrow, Fajr, Mandash; Martinez

Latest football commentary Al-Nassr vs Al-Taawoun

Despite possessing many famous stars – especially Cristiano Ronaldo – Al-Nassr are at risk of ending another season without a trophy, since last winning the Saudi Pro League in the 2018–19 season.

Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, moved to the capital Riyadh in January 2023 in a sensational move. However, Al-Nassr have since been chasing Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal, and this season they will be satisfied with a second-place finish – as long as they have a chance of qualifying for European competition.

Al-Nassr’s journey in the AFC Champions League Elite ended in the semi-finals after a bitter defeat to Kawasaki Frontale. When Al Ahli – another Saudi representative – won the title, the number of places in the next season’s national championship was reduced to two.

Therefore, the pressure on coach Stefano Pioli and his team is huge. After last week's resounding victory - the biggest away win of the season - they need to maintain their perfection to secure a top 2 position, if they do not want to miss out on the most prestigious tournament in Asia.

The 9-0 win over Al Okhdood was the perfect response to the defeat to the top team Al Ittihad in the previous round. Notably, that devastating victory took place in the context of Ronaldo not being in the squad.

The decision to leave CR7 out of the squad raised many questions, but was later confirmed to be due to fitness issues. However, Sadio Mane eased fans' worries by scoring 4 goals in an overwhelming attacking performance.

Despite their explosive away form, Al-Nassr's home form has been less than impressive as they have dropped points in 7 of their 15 home games this season.

This is all the more worrying given that they have lost both of their last two visits to Al-Taawoun – a 0-2 defeat in the league last season and then a Copa del Rey exit in October.

In fact, Al-Taawoun have often given Al-Nassr a hard time in recent encounters. Earlier this year, the two teams drew 1-1, and if they avoid defeat in the return leg, they will complete the season without losing to Al-Nassr – something that has only happened once before.

However, the away team's recent form has not been very positive as they have lost 3 of their last 4 matches and have failed to score in those defeats.

In their most recent match, they lost 0-1 at home to Al Quadisiya. With 41 points now, Al-Taawoun are safely in the middle of the table, but no longer have a chance to compete for a place in the continental cup.

After finishing fourth last season, this was a somewhat disappointing season for the Wolves, as they were unable to repeat last year's 59-point achievement, although they still wanted to end the season with their heads held high.

Al-Taawoun’s away record this season is not bad, though: 5 wins, 3 draws in 15 away games. However, they have failed to win in their last two away games (1 draw, 1 loss).

Latest Al-Nassr vs Al-Taawoun score prediction

Based on the above football comments, we and the world's leading football sites have given the results of the match.Al-Nassr vs Al-Taawounas follows:

• Sportsmole:Al-Nassr 3-0 Al-Taawoun

• WhoScore:Al-Nassr 2-0 Al-Taawoun
• Our newspaper predicts:Al-Nassr 3-0 Al-Taawoun

When and where to watch Al-Nassr vs Al-Taawoun live?

To watch the Al-Nassr vs Al-Taawoun match live in the Saudi Pro League taking place at 1:00 a.m. on May 17, viewers can watch onK+ Sport,K+PMor online sports channels. Wish you have fun watching football.