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Scoring penalties may look like child's play from our TV rooms. But the reality is far from it. The penalty spot is 13 yards away from the goalline. There is an enormous amount of pressure involved since the striker is expected to score. In addition to that, the goalkeepers at the highest level of the game are no pushovers.
Needless to say, players need to be very precise when it comes to taking penalties. Goalkeepers can cover a large area of the goal. Getting the better of them by sending them the wrong way or getting them to commit first requires an incredible amount of composure and expertise.
It's common knowledge that penalty goals are perhaps not given the same level of respect as, say, a goal scored from open play. But in reality, they ought to be.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five players who scored the most penalties in 2021.
#6 Jorginho (Italy/Chelsea) - 10 penalties
Jorginho has had a wonderful year. The Chelsea and Italy midfield metronome won two major trophies this summer. He played a crucial role in Chelsea's Champions League triumph. He then replicated his heroics at Euro 2020 for Italy as the Azzurri were crowned European champions.
Jorginho is one of the best deep-lying playmakers in the world. It is a role that generally requires players to be physically imposing. However, Jorginho rocks a slender frame but pulls off the job with aplomb and that's due to his incredible technical ability.
He is an expert distributor of the ball and excels at dictating play from deep. Jorginho is Chelsea's and Italy's first-choice penalty taker and he has converted 10 from the spot in 2021.
#5 Dusan Vlahovic (Serbia/Fiorentina) - 10 penalties
Dusan Vlahovic has pretty much taken the Serie A by storm in 2021. He has been in sensational form for Fiorentina and has equalled Cristiano Ronaldo's record of most goals scored in Serie A in a calendar year (33).
The 21-year-old has been in sublime form for Fiorentina this season. Vlahovic has scored 18 goals and provided three assists in 20 appearances across all competitions for the Serie A outfit this term.
The left-footed striker has become one of the most sought-after youngsters in Europe thanks to his recent exploits. He is also a cool customer from the spot. Vlahovic has scored 10 penalties in 2021.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Manchester United) - 10 penalties
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 143 of the 171 penalties he has taken in his professional career. The legendary footballer has a penalty conversion rate of 83.6%. Ronaldo has made an illustrious career out of thriving in pressure situations.
He channels that same energy into taking penalties and has scored 10 penalties in 2021. When Ronaldo returned to Manchester United this summer, Bruno Fernandes was the first-choice penalty taker for the Red Devils. But Ronaldo has since taken over from his countryman.
Ronaldo is a tricky customer from the spot. He can strike the ball into the corners and can also do it with an incredible amount of power.
#3 Lorenzo Insigne (Italy/Napoli) - 11 penalties
Lorenzo Insigne is one of the most technically gifted wingers of his generation. The Napoli forward is a livewire in attack with his excellent dribbling skills and ability to score goals from range. Insigne is also pretty good at dead-ball situations.
He is a penalty specialist and has scored 11 from the spot in 2021. The 30-year-old looks calm and composed while approaching the ball and often sends the goalkeeper the wrong way before slotting it home.
Despite converting 11 penalties, Insigne might not be the most reliable penalty taker around. He has also missed five penalties in 2021, three of which have come this season.
#2 Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich) - 11 penalties
Robert Lewandowski is the most prolific striker in Europe's top five leagues. He has been in incredible form for Bayern Munich over the past several seasons. The Polish international has been scoring at more than one goal per game for a few seasons now and he has kept it up this term as well.
He has scored 30 goals and provided three assists in 25 appearances across all competitions so far this season. Lewandowski is one of the most lethal finishers we've seen in the 21st century.
In the 2020-21 season, he netted 41 goals in the league, breaking Gerd Muller's long-standing record of most goals scored in a single Bundesliga campaign (40). As expected, Lewandowski is also the go-to penalty taker for his side.
He has scored 11 penalties in 2021 and could very well add more to that tally before the year ends. Lewandowski is currently one of the best penalty takers on the planet and he rarely misses from the spot.
#1 Memphis Depay (Netherlands/Barcelona) - 12 penalties
It wasn't too long ago that Memphis Depay left Manchester United after an extremely underwhelming spell in England. However, Depay has since resurrected his career. He was a standout performer for Olympique Lyon since joining them in 2017.
The Dutchman then made the step up last summer and joined Barcelona on a free transfer. The 27-year-old has burgeoned into one of the best forwards in Europe. His pace, technical ability and trickery have helped him make the transition from winger to center forward.
Depay has always been renowned for his set-piece and shooting abilities. He has become the Netherlands' first-choice penalty taker. Since the start of 2021, Depay has scored 12 penalties for club and country. He has also missed thrice from the spot this year.
