Taking Penalties may look reasonably easy while sitting at home during the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, but when the crucial moment arrives the pressure and expectations of fans do put a lot of pressure on the players. It is one of the most nerve-wracking moments in the game when a player is about to take a penalty. If a player scores from the spot, he becomes an instant hero, on the other hand, a spot-kick miss may turn the player into a villain easily. This proves that taking penalties isn’t at all an easy job. There have been players to play in Spain that made a name for themselves and became some of the best penalty takers in La Liga.
Here are 6 of the best penalty takers in La Liga:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo:
Clubs played – Real Madrid
Penalties scored – 61
Easily among the best penalty takers of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in 2009 and spent nine years in Spain before joining Italian champions Juventus. He took a total of 71 penalties and converted 61 of them. This number remains the greatest in La Liga's history. He scored over 450 goals for Real Madrid in less than 450 games surpassing the average of one goal per game. His penalty conversion rate in Spain was 85.9%.
2. Lionel Messi:
Clubs played – FC Barcelona
Penalties scored – 57
Arguably the best La Liga player of all time, Lionel Messi has spent his entire career at FC Barcelona. He has scored 57 penalties and is only second to Cristiano Ronaldo on the list. Messi has attempted a total of 69 penalties in his career and enjoyed a conversion rate of around 85.07 percent. He scored his 57th penalty earlier this week with a beautiful ‘panenka’ against Atletico Madrid. It was also his 700th career goal which involves 638 for FC Barcelona.
3. Hugo Sanchez:
Clubs played – Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Rayo Vallecano
Penalties scored – 56
Former Mexican midfielder forward Hugo Sanchez had a glorious 21-year playing career. He played for Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano in La Liga and spent 14 years in Spain. He has scored all 56 penalty goals in Spanish top-flight. He has the best penalty record with the best efficiency(100%) among the top three players. He had an incredible record and remains one of the greatest penalty records in the history of football.
4. Ronald Koeman:
Clubs played – FC Barcelona
Penalties scored – 45
Barcelona and Netherlands legend Ronal Koeman, also the current manager of the Dutch side, has been one of the most efficient penalty takers of all time. He had a conversion rate of over 100% which is a truly remarkable record. Koeman scored a total of 239 goals while playing as a defender with the role of a sweeper. He is famous for scoring a brilliant goal for Barcelona in their 2nd UCL final win under Cruyff. He scored all 45 penalties attempted in La Liga.
5. Aitor Larrazabal:
Clubs played – Athletic Bilbao
Penalties scored – 24
Aitor Larrazabal has featured 445 times for Athletic Bilbao and has scored at least one La Liga goal in 13 of his 14 professional seasons. He was the club’s penalty kick specialist despite being a left-back and scored all 24 penalties he took. He loved hitting the top corner of the net with his greatest strength being the ability to generate a serious pace while striking the ball. His penalty conversion rate was 100%.
6. David Villa:
Clubs played – Sporting Gijon, Zaragoza, Valencia, FC Barcelona, Atletico Madrid
Penalties scored – 24
David Villa is touted by many as the greatest Spanish striker of all time. He played as a striker for five different La Liga teams and impressed everywhere taking up different roles. He attempted 27 penalties and scored 24 of them with a conversion rate of 88.8%.
