Penalty kicks, because they make more mistakes – Corriere.it

the revenge of pure football, with the primitive duel between the penalty taker and the goalkeeper. The European, World Cup and the Nations League, won by Spain against Croatia on Sunday, all ended with shots from eleven metres. Like the Europa League final, won by Sevilla over Roma. Beautiful or ugly, it depends on your tastes and who wins. But there is one certainty: scoring penalties is becoming a problem. And it’s up to everyone in turn: the Brazilians, the Spaniards themselves, Italy who won the European Championship on penalties and then (also) due to Jorginho’s two mistakes with Switzerland, the road to the World Cup failed.

Despite a regulation that penalizes the goalkeeper more and more, forced by the Var to stand with one foot on the line. Despite the ever more performing balls or boots, despite everything, the Opta data are clear and quite disarming: the one won by Italy thanks to Donnarumma’s last save on Saka was the worst European ever for penalties scored, both overall (12 errors out of 38) and as a percentage (67%). Ditto for the World Cup in Qatar, with Montiel’s last penalty which condemned France: as many as 21 errors out of 64 spot shots, 67% of goals also in this case.

The spoon of Carvajalwho gave Spain a trophy back after 11 years, quite exemplary of the randomness that can exist between the penalty takers of a national team in a major tournament: qhe shot by the Real Madrid full-back was just the second penalty of his career. And the spoon was a kind of redemption, even psychological, compared to the one suffered by Hakimi in Qatar, who clamorously condemned Roja to elimination in the round of 16 against Morocco.

But the sensational drop in accuracy from the penalty spot in major tournaments is also confirmed by championship data: it was the worst season of the last five both in the Premier League (25% of errors) and in the Spanish Liga (28%). In Germany and Italy it was not the same in terms of percentage only because the penalties cheerfully awarded by the Var two seasons ago weigh: in terms of absolute number of goals from penalties, it was also the most crooked year for Serie A and the Bundesliga, with the minimum of 85 networks in both cases. The 24 errors in the championship have illustrious signaturesfrom Lautaro in the absurd night of La Spezia, to Vlahovic, from Osihmen to Berardi, ending with Immobile.

The specialist Giroud he was wrong in the Champions League in the Maradona match. But after all, even Diego made mistakes from time to time. What strikes the drop in general performance of the penalty takers: the fault of the pressure, which becomes enormous especially in big tournaments, of the psychological ability of the goalkeepers, with El Dibu Martinez became patron of penalties forever after feats in Qatar. But even here, the only rule that there is no real rule is patience for lawyers who continue to put snares on the goalkeepers, without knowing that there are good days and bad days for them too. Livakovic, a Croatian hero with Brazil and Japan at the World Cup, failed to take a penalty against Spain on Sunday. The Moroccan Bono of Sevilla was also decisive in the Europa League after dragging Morocco to the world semifinal. Because it depends on the moment and you have to know how to seize it on the fly. The margin of error is growing visibly. And there is more room to dream.