5 players who have missed the most penalties in Europe's top five leagues this season
Scoring from the spot might seem easy but it's hard to find players who relish taking penalties. It is not an easy feat for several reasons. Firstly, the ball has to be kept away from the goalkeeper. Secondly, just keeping the ball away from the goalkeeper won't do as the shot has to be on target.
Thirdly, there is the added pressure and the weight of expectations that come from a penalty which is often taken for granted. We have seen some of the best players in the world fail to convert from the spot this season. Some other players have a penchant for scoring penalties.
In short, it takes a cool head, good technique and intelligence to beat the goalkeeper and find the back of the net. Without further ado, let's take a look at five players who have missed the most penalties this season.
#5 Jorginho (Chelsea) - 2 penalty misses
Chelsea man Jorginho might be revered for being one of the safest from the spot but the Italian midfielder has missed two penalties in the Premier League this term. He has taken a total of nine penalties for Chelsea and has scored seven of them.
The 29-year-old has his own style of taking penalties. The 'Jorginho bounce', where he jumps right before kicking the ball, allows him to slow things down and see where the goalkeeper is fixing to go. This helps Jorginho go the other way and he often rolls the ball into the back of the net.
The former Napoli man is Chelsea's top scorer in the Premier League this season and all seven of his goals have come from the spot. Jorginho's first miss came against Liverpool in a 2-0 defeat. The second came against Arsenal in a 3-1 defeat.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) - 2 penalty misses
Cristiano Ronaldo has maintained a good record from the spot throughout his career. The Serie A Golden Boot winner has converted six penalties this season but he has also missed twice.
The first of his misses came in a 1-1 draw against Atalanta. His second came in a must-win match for Inter Milan towards the business end of the season. Luckily for Juventus, Ronaldo tapped home the rebound and Juventus won the game 3-2 and his miss did not amount to much.