Barcelona's Raphinha keeps goalkeepers guessing from the spot

"You have to change things a little because the goalkeepers already expect what you're going to do. Raphinha explained his contrasting penalty approaches after the match, highlighting the importance of tactical variation. His first penalty was a delicate Panenka chip in the ninth minute, while his second was driven low to the goalkeeper's right, demonstrating his adaptive strategy against goalkeeper expectations."

"Raphinha has now scored 18 of the 19 penalties he has taken in senior football, spread across spells in Portugal, France, England, and Spain. And he's always varied his approach. At Stade Rennais he started using a short hop before striking the ball, something that is known as Robert Lewandowski's signature move. During his time at Leeds United, he tended to switch sides from one penalty to the next."

"At Barcelona the run-up slowed down. Raphinha now approaches the ball carefully, waiting for the goalkeeper to blink first. The last couple of steps speed up sharply. If the keeper moves early, the finish can change at the final moment. But even then, the placement tends to always stay low. Only once in a Barcelona shirt has he sent a penalty high, preferring corners along the ground."

Raphinha scored two penalties as Barcelona defeated Sevilla 5-2, keeping the team four points ahead of Real Madrid in La Liga. The Brazilian demonstrated tactical penalty-taking by varying his approach between kicks. His first penalty in the ninth minute was a delicate Panenka chip, while his second was driven low to the goalkeeper's right. Raphinha has maintained an exceptional 18-of-19 penalty conversion rate throughout his career across Portugal, France, England, and Spain. His technique has evolved across clubs, from using a short hop at Rennais to switching sides at Leeds. At Barcelona, he employs a careful approach, waiting for goalkeeper movement before adjusting his finish, consistently placing shots low.

Read at Barca Blaugranes