Raphinha reveals penalty secret after perfect record continues for Barcelona | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have found a remarkably reliable penalty taker in Raphinha, with the Brazilian now emerging as the team’s most dependable option from the spot.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the South American winger revealed after his two-goal penalty display against Sevilla that variation is the key to his success.

Explaining his approach, Raphinha said goalkeepers now expect certain habits, which is why “you have to change a little bit.” That idea appears to be central to the way he has built such a strong record from 12 yards.

The numbers underline it. Raphinha has converted 18 of his 19 penalties across his career and has not missed any spot-kicks in Ligue 1, the Premier League, or La Liga. Since joining Barcelona, he has also shown a clear pattern of unpredictability, rarely repeating the same side and only shooting high on one occasion.

Against Sevilla, that unpredictability was on full display. He scored one penalty with a Panenka and then followed it up with a low, powerful effort to his left. It was the first panenka penalty of his career, showing his constant passion to reinvent.

Raphinha often approaches the ball slowly in order to gather information from the goalkeeper, before quickening his final two steps so that if the keeper waits, he still cannot reach a well-placed shot. That blend of patience, disguise, and execution seems to be what makes him so effective.

Within the current Barcelona squad, there is no doubt that he is the most reliable option to take penalties. Lewandowski is no longer as consistent as he used to be, and Lamine Yamal is just learning the tricks of the trade.

It’s safe to say at this point that Raphinha has turned penalty taking into an art, and Barcelona are the ones reaping the rewards.