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#1 Iago Aspas (94.12%)
Aspas is not a name that many (including yours truly) were expecting at the top of this list. The former Liverpool player has only missed one penalty out of 17 spot kicks. Aspas’s consistency at the spot has been crucial for Celta Vigo over the past few years.
Aspas is unique in the sense that he often chooses to place his penalties down the middle (having deceived the opposing goalkeeper into diving). This has been the case in three of his last six penalties suggesting a propensity to go down the middle that is far greater than any player on this list.
To be perfectly honest, Aspas’s status at the top of this list could be due to a sample size that is smaller than of all players in this list with the exception of Vardy. Nonetheless, Aspas’s astronomically high percentage is so high that even if he missed his next penalty, the Spaniard would only be ranked below Lewandowski.
This sustained quality at the spot is why Spanish manager Fernando Hierro should consider Aspas as the first-choice penalty taker if he is on the field (Aspas was substituted in against Portugal).
