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Penalties have always been contentious decisions in football. A penalty is awarded by the referee when an opposition player is denied a goal-scoring opportunity due to a foul by a defending team player inside the box. It can also be awarded if any defending team player except the goalkeeper 'handles' the ball inside the box.
However, spotting such fouls or infringements are generally at the discretion of the referee. It is why penalties can be game-changing moments, especially in low-scoring games, allowing a team to score the winner or force a share of the spoils from the spot.
On that note, let us have a look at the top five teams in Europe's top five leagues who have received the most penalties this season.
Five teams in Europe's top five leagues who have received the most penalties this season
#1: Lazio - 15
Lazio are in the midst of a fabulous league campaign, putting up a strong title challenge in the Serie A. But by the look of it, they have had their fare share of 'good' fortune.
Lazio have been awarded 15 penalties this season, the most across the top 5 leagues in Europe. With a few matches still left in the seasaon, this number may increase.
Ciro Immobile has been Lazio's chief penalty taker this season, taking 12 and scoring 11 of them. Immobile, Joaquin Correa and Caicedo have won the most penalties for Lazio, with the trio earning three penalties apiece.
Incidentally, Immobile's 31 successful penalties in Serie A are the most by any player after Francesco Totti's 36.
#2: Genoa - 14
Unlike Lazio, who have benefitted from a lot of spotkicks, 18th-placed Genoa who might get relegated from Serie A haven't been that fortunate.
Genoa have missed four of the 14 penalties they have received this season. Their goals from penalties constitute about a quarter of their total goals scored this season.
Genoa's left wing back, Domenico Criscito is their primary penalty taker, scoring seven of the nine he's taken this season. Stefano Sturaro has earned the most spotkicks for Genoa with two.
#3: Lecce and Manchester United - 13
Lecce are the third Serie A team to have received the most penalties among Europe's top five leagues this season.
17th-placed Lecce have converted ten of their 13 penalties received in the 2019-20 Serie A season. Like Genoa, Lecce's successful penalties also comprise exactly a quarter of their goals scored this season.
Marco Mancosu has scored the most penalties for Lecce this season, scoring eight of the nine he has taken. Striker Khouma Babacar may have missed both the penalties he's taken during the current Serie A campaign but he has earned Lecce the most penalties, getting fouled in the box thrice.
Premier League giants Manchester United have received 13 penalties this season, equalling the all-time Premier League record for most penalties in a season.
However, they have been rather wasteful from the spot. They have missed four of these penalties. Marcos Rashford has scored six of these eight penalties while new arrival Bruno Fernandes has scored all three he's taken. Both Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial have missed one penalty apiece. Rashford has earned four penalties this season, which is the most by a Manchester United player during the 2019-20 Premier League.
#4: Juventus - 12
Serie A giants Juventus have been clinical from the spot in the 2019-20 Serie A.
Their star striker Cristiano Ronaldo has scored all 12 penalties he has taken for the Bianconeri in the Italian top-flight this season.
The Portugal captain's latest pair of successful spotkicks against Atalanta earned the league leaders a come-from-behind 2-2 home draw as Juventus streaked eight points clear at the top.
#5: Villarreal - 11
The only La Liga side in this list, Villarreal have scored all but one of their 11 penalties in the Spanish top-flight this season.
The magical Santi Cazorla leads the way with a perfect record from the spot, scoring all of his eight penalties. Winger Moi Gomez has won three spotkicks while Samu Chukuweze and Gerard Moreno have earned two apiece.
