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Liverpool midfielder James Milner has revealed that a number of players at Anfield practice taking penalties ahead of each game. The Reds notably won both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup on penalties this season.
Ahead of their Champions League final against Real Madrid on Saturday (May 28), Milner spoke to Jamie Redknapp (via Daily Mail) about preparing for penalty shootouts.
Milner noted that he started wanting to take penalties after losing a cup final years back and said:
"The first final we reached was the League Cup against Manchester City in 2016. It was the manager’s first year and my first. I was listed as the fifth penalty taker but didn’t get to take one because we’d lost. From then on, I’ve said, ‘I want one.'"
Redknapp responded:
"Not only one. You want the first one and that’s gutsy. Have you practised much?"
Milner explained:
"Me, Mo (Salah), Fabinho and a few of the lads practise before every game. We’ve done it all season. With the change to the away-goals rule, we predicted there would be more shootouts, so we’ve practised more. The club brought in these neuro11 guys (a company in Germany that coach penalty-taking)."
"You’ve got players who may never take a penalty apart from in a shootout. The ball doesn’t move. The goal doesn’t move. So it’s making them think about their process rather than it being, ‘Oh, by the way, you’re taking a penalty, off you go.'"
Liverpool have had two finals end in penalties this season and the Champions League final against Real Madrid could follow the same route. The Reds practicing penalties could come in handy against Los Blancos on Saturday.
Liverpool could end the season with a treble
Liverpool might have missed out on the Premier League title on the final day of the season, ending their hopes of an unprecedented quadruple.
This won't stop Liverpool from gunning for a remarkable treble. They have already won the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup. A Champions League triumph would be the perfect brilliant way to cap off an exciting season.
