Penalties: better with the right or with the left?

Players left-handed sign in LaLiga Santander 2020-21 a percentage of success in the penalty shoot-out clearly higher that of footballers who execute the maximum penalties with the right leg. Specifically, the difference between one and the other is 10.78%. While the shots from 11 meters with the left that have finished in goal suppose the 83.33% of those executed, those who have been launched with the right have had a success of 72.55%.

So far the Spanish referees have whistled a total of 81 maximum penalties in LaLiga Santander 2020-21. 51 of them they have thrown themselves with the leg right (62.96%) and 30 remaining (37.04%) with the left. Of the 51 executed with the right hand, 37 (72.55%) ended in a goal while of the 30 that were shot with the left hand, 25 (83.33%) were transformed.

Carlos Soler adds five penalties transformed this course, all with the right
Carlos Soler adds five penalties transformed this course, all with the right

The last season this trend was not observed, despite the fact that left-handers also beat the right-handers. However, they did so by a much lower margin than the 11% of the current campaign. Specifically, the difference between them it was reduced to 1.33%While the right-handers converted 82.88% of their penalties into a goal (92 of 111), the left-handers achieved it in 84.21% (32 of 38).

Leo Messi, Gerard Moreno or Mikel Oyarzábal are counted among the golden left-handers, common in the execution of penalties, while in the ranks of the right-handed players appear as Sergio Ramos, Joao Felix or Carlos Soler.

Only 1 of 81 went straight away

It is necessary to underline the good 'aim'' Of the pitchers since only 3 of the 81 penalties taken were not between the three sticks: one crashed into a post, another into the crossbar and only one went straight outside. It was the one launched by the blaugrana Braithwaite at Barça-Eibar on Matchday 16 (1-1), an error that would end up costing Ronald Koeman's men two points.

In this sense they have improved compared to last season, when 4 of the 149 penalties ended directly outside and only one crashed into the wood, specifically on a crossbar. Then 83.22% of the maximum penalties indicated (124 out of 149) ended in goals, while today the percentage of success from 11 meters has been reduced to 76.54% (62 goals from 81 shots).