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Teams are often seen celebrating the moment they win a penalty but for the discerning viewer, it looks as though they're counting their eggs before they hatch. Converting a penalty kick is not an easy job as some of the best players on the planet might make it look.
Goalkeepers are always equipped and ready to cover one side of the netting. The taker either gives them the eyes and sends them the wrong way before passing it home or blasts it into the back of the net to give the keeper no chance.
All said and done, a penalty kick can always prove to be a crucial moment in a game in terms of momentum and therefore, converting from the spot is a very important part of football.
That being said, let's take a look at:
Top 10 penalty takers in football right now
#10 Paulo Dybala (Juventus)
Juventus attacking midfielder Paulo Dybala now alternates with Cristiano Ronaldo when it comes to penalty duties. It is safe to say that Juve are safe in the hands of either player as the Argentine is a solid option from the spot as well.
Dybala usually takes a slow run up, building pace as he approaches the ball and then absolutely smashes the ball way out of the keeper's reach. His proclivity for finding the corners has caused him to miss a few as well.
In 26 attempts so far, he has scored 22 and missed 4.
#9 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
Harry Kane is one of the better penalty takers in England. One of the best strikers in Europe, the Englishman knows how to outwit a goalkeeper, whether it be by giving him the eyes to send him the wrong way or by straight up blasting the ball out of his reach.
Kane has taken 44 penalties in his club career and has converted 37 of them. The Englishman is obviously Jose Mourinho's go-to man from the spot and with that kind of conversion rate, he rarely disappoints.
#8 Luka Milivojevic (Crystal Palace)
A rare appearance on an elite list for a Crystal Palace player, Milivojevic's inclusion on this list is well warranted. One thing Premier League defenders are cautious about when dealing with the Eagles is not affording them a penalty. That's because there's a 9/10 chance that Luka Milivojevic will dispatch it.
He has only ever missed 2 penalties for Crystal Palace and the last of his misses came in October 2018. The Serbian has converted 21 of the 24 penalties he has taken in his club career and continues to be one of the best in the business in world football, from the spot.
#7 Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos is next on the list. After registering double figures in the league from a centre-back position in Real Madrid's La Liga title-winning campaign, the veteran will be on cloud nine right now.
Ramos has been Real Madrid's designated penalty taker since Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus. He has had an incredible record from the spot as well. Ramos last missed a penalty in May 2018 and has scored 19 straight penalties ever since.
In his club career, Sergio Ramos has converted 26 of his 29 penalties.
#6 James Milner (Liverpool)
The Liverpool veteran is as reliable as they come as far as spot-kicks are concerned. Milner puts all his experience and technical ability on show whenever Liverpool win a foul in the box.
Milner's last penalty miss came in November of 2018, in the Champions League. He has had an impeccable record ever since. Milner has converted 30 out of his 35 penalties and his recent record shows that he is one of the best in the business when it comes to disturbing the net from the spot.
#5 Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
Identical to Jorginho when given the spot kick responsibilities, Bruno Fernandes often resorts to the big hop right before striking the ball and thanks to his technical prowess, it is not a hard thing for him to stroke the ball into the net once the goalkeeper has gone the other way.
Bruno Fernandes has not only improved Manchester United as a team but since his arrival, United have not missed a penalty either. Bruno's last penalty miss came in October 2018. The one before that came in April 2016. The way he is going, a goal is almost a surety when Bruno Fernandes lines up to take the kick from the spot.
Bruno has scored 26 out of 28 penalties in his career.
#4 Jorginho (Chelsea)
Jorginho might be a divisive figure at West London right now with him not fitting the configuration of the archetypal Premier League defensive midfielder. However, the fact that Jorginho is one of the best technical players in Europe is not even up for debate.
This lends to his ability from the spot as well. The Italian has a near perfect record from the spot. He runs up to the ball and does a little hop which sends the goalkeeper leaning to one side and then Jorginho just strokes the ball to the other and seals the deal.
Jorginho has taken 21 penalties in his club career and he has only missed once. That was in the 2017/18 season with Napoli.
#3 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Robert Lewandowski is one of the most reliable players from the spot. He has been one of the best strikers in Europe for a long time now and he continues to clock ridiculous numbers.
Lewandowski has converted all of 6 penalties this season for Bayern Munich. What sets him apart is his deceptive run-ups to the kick. Lewandowski almost always slots the ball in one of the corners and gives the goalkeepers no chance.
His prowess from the spot has seen him take 56 penalties in his club career and he has only missed 5 of those.
#2 Ryad Boudebouz (Saint-Etienne)
Perhaps the least known name on the list, the Saint-Etienne midfielder has a near spotless record from the spot. Boudebouz has a comparatively shorter run up and usually just passes the ball into the net with ease after fooling the goalkeeper.
What's actually incredible is the fact that Boudebouz last misfire from the spot came all the way back in the 2012/13 season. Yes, that's right. He has taken 24 penalties in his club career and has converted 23 of them. Incredible conversion rate.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Cristiano Ronaldo makes it to the top of the list not because he has the best conversion rate among the players on the list. He makes it on top simply because of the ridiculous numbers he has stacked. Of course, his conversion rate is no joke either.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid legend who currently plies his trade in Juventus, continues to be lethal from the spot. Ronaldo has scored 126 goals from the spot in his club career. Of course, with the likes of Ronaldo and Messi, the numbers are always ridiculous.
Ronaldo has missed 24 times from the spot but has scored more than double the numbers than Lewandowski who comes second in terms of penalties converted.
