In-form Frenchman to take next penalty for Real Madrid after Vinicius blunder against Valencia | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s troubles from the penalty spot continue to raise eyebrows, with Vinicius Jr.’s recent miss against Valencia serving as yet another reminder that the club need to fix this problem, sooner rather than later.

Despite their remarkable mental strength in penalty shootouts, like those against Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, Madrid have failed to convert five penalties during regular time this season.

The latest miss by Vinicius, his second in two weeks after failing against Atletico, came at a decisive moment in the game and contributed to a poor defeat.

He’s not alone. Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham have also missed from the spot this seaso. Even veterans like Luka Modric and Lucas Vazquez have faltered, with Modric missing against Union Berlin and also in the shootout at the Etihad.

Vinicius Junior’s penalty miss vs Valencia cost the team dearly over the weekend. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

Who is Real Madrid’s next penalty taker?

As Real Madrid’s penalty woes continue, Real Madrid have decided that if a penalty is awarded against Arsenal, the responsibility will fall to Mbappe.

This is according to MARCA, which suggests there’s no full confidence even in the Frenchman. If he misses again, the duty will likely shift to Bellingham.

There’s been confusion even mid-game about who should step up, with no player clearly taking ownership. Ancelotti initially claimed the players decided among themselves, but later said Vinicius was first in line – until his recent back-to-back misses.

Effectively, the club are yet to finalise a definitive penalty taker and there’s every chance this dilemma will continue, as long as players continue to falter from close range.