Real Madrid has made it a practice to always have an 11-meter specialist. Cristiano Ronaldo served as the primary executor for the past ten years. After he left for Juventus, Sergio Ramos took over, continuing the Portuguese player’s remarkable track record of success.
It was Benzema’s turn after Camas, who had only made a few appearances in his career, left for PSG. But the Frenchman turned out to be an excellent stand-in. He actually had a 100% success rate to begin with, and he overcame his early setbacks to lead Madrid to the Champions League final with his famous “Panenka” at the Etihad and the one after that at the Bernabéu.
Without him, the discussion regarding his replacement started this season. Rodrygo, who had already received three bullets last year with perfect effectiveness, was the center of attention. He scored in the Liga Clásico at the Bernabéu, without advancing any farther.
When the Brazilian scored the first goal in an official encounter this season in Balaídos, it appeared to be the perfect decision. However, in a scoreless tie and under duress, he faltered, compounding the error he committed with Brazil in the previous World Cup’s penalty shootout match against Croatia.
As a result, the argument has reached a consensus in the White House, particularly in light of recent developments. They have made three efforts, counting the preseason, and none of them have resulted in a conversion. So who ought to be the team’s regular pitcher?
Per gallon
Here are two players: Modric and Kroos. Two seasoned players who hit well and do not falter under duress. They’ve previously shown it in Arabia: “What’s the secret to penalties? The players with the most experience. Karim, Kroos, and Modric—the three with the most experience and coldest—took the opening shot,” Ancelotti stated following the Spanish Super Cup shootout victory over Valencia.
Their inability to start games on a regular basis is a drawback, particularly for the Croatian. Furthermore, they are not as experts as one may think.
Despite having a longer history with his team, Modric has only launched four goals in white (not including sets), all in LaLiga over the previous two seasons. He was unsuccessful in the most recent Club World Cup.
Modric accepting his missed penalty in the Club World Cup of 2023
For his part, Kroos has taken shots with Madrid, heads and tails. In an official match, excluding shootouts, he has only taken three in his professional career (all with Germany and all goals). One was when a youthful Donnarumma stopped him during a friendly match against Milan. The other occurred during the most recent Spanish Super Cup penalty shootout matchup with Valencia. He made a point. He again makes another error at the Bernabéu, this time with the Bayern shirt. He participated in the Champions League semifinals in 2011–12.
In terms of form
Bellingham should definitely be here. Sweet-natured, the Englishman posts practically everything he touches online. He has demonstrated personality, which is crucial when accepting a penalty. His experience, though, is limited to eleven meters. It is largely influenced by his age. Only two have he taken, and he scored both in Dortmund’s previous season. One was in the Cup against Hannover, and the other was in the Bundesliga against Moenchengladbach (the one seen in the image below).
Vinicius may also be included in this, even if he is still quite young and may be in the stripes. His season has just begun because of the injury he sustained in Balaídos at the end of August. He is, however, returning to his level.
Vini’s story is that he doesn’t have much experience. Over his career, he has thrown two in official matches, one with Brazil and one without a goal. He took the risk of being the first white pitcher to compete in the US Classic last preseason. He pushed it against the crossbar. As such, his current goal is not to be a dependable choice.
In the preseason Classic, Vinicius hits the crossbar with his penalty.
By striking
Considering the caliber of the squad, there is space for many. For instance, we have already discussed Kroos Modric. To avoid duplication, we shall mention Valverde and Alaba. Since the Austrian has demonstrated that a free strike carries risk, it seems like a wise choice from 11 meters out. But since 2015, he hasn’t imposed the maximum penalty. Furthermore, his success rate is only 66% (8 out of 12).
Fede Valverde is the alternative. He is a candidate because of the beating’s violence. Nevertheless, he lacks any experience. He hasn’t received a penalty since he was younger. It reduces his alternatives.
The experts
The staff member with the most expertise would have to make the most logical choice. Joselu remains after eliminating Rodrygo because of his limited list of executions. Doubts have been raised by his recent loss to Osasuna, but it’s important to remember that he played flawlessly for Espanyol last season. Five in six in less than a year.
Indeed, placing them in Madrid, where there is greater pressure, is not the same. However, Joselu has demonstrated that he is unaffected by this. He scored five goals in the previous season, all of which came in circumstances where his team was never ahead on the scoreboard. He always attempted to try and overcome his side (Getafe), tie the score (Celta and Barcelona), or close the gap (Sevilla and Atlético). Give particular attention to the latter two. One was that it was at Camp Nou, and the other was that it was going to be a draw in the opposing field in the 98th minute.
With a 4-0 scoreline and in the dying minutes of the match, the Madrid player who scored the goal against Osasuna was in a far more comfortable situation. Maybe that contributed to his downfall as well.
Joselu has a 71.4% success rate in La Liga after taking 21 maximum penalties and converting 15. He is not exceptional (it has been demonstrated that a penalty has a 76% chance of succeeding), but he has improved with time as he accumulated expertise. In the past three seasons, he has thrown 13 of those 21 and missed just two.
Joselu scores an Alavés penalty in their matchup with Real Sociedad.
What Ancelotti decided
Given this situation, it would seem obvious that Joselu, with his expertise and dependability, ought to be the pitcher if he is on the field. The gallon issue is another matter.
Although Ancelotti gives the players freedom to choose based on emotions and who is on the field, the Italian has a definite list. As he stated after the clash with Osasuna, Joselu is his first choice: “Every game the pitcher changes because there isn’t always the same lineup. Joselu had to toss it today. The thrower was Joselu, but I’m not sure if they’ve talked about giving Rodrygo an opportunity on the field. Rodrygo was free to toss it if he so desired, but I’m not sure what additional specifics they had discussed.”
As a result, he also has Rodrygo, even though the Croatian is ahead if Modric is present, as he previously stated following the clash with Celta.
Either way, it’s obvious that there is room for discussion and that the team would benefit most from having a well-defined hierarchical structure. There might be more historic penalties in the future, therefore Madrid needs to step up its current 11-meter play significantly.