Penalty Kings
Three years after being substituted in the League Cup final in preparation for a penalty shootout, Kepa Arrizabalaga was brought on for the same reason last weekend. In a cruel twist of fate, Kepa missed the decisive penalty to gift Liverpool the trophy and failed to save any of the Reds’ spot-kicks.
His opposite number Caoimhin Kelleher scored Liverpool’s eleventh and final penalty, causing us to think back at some other goalkeepers who have scored from twelve yards.
Jordan Pickford
ENGLAND v Switzerland, 2019 Nations League
Jordan Pickford is no stranger to penalty shoot-out heroics when playing for England, the defeat to Italy in last year’s European Championship final included.
However, in England’s third place play-off against Switzerland in 2019, the Everton ‘keeper was heralded for his exploits with hands and feet, winning the national team a podium finish at the inaugural Nations League finals.
After a goalless draw in the Portuguese sun, Pickford smashed home England’s sixth penalty emphatically and saved the next spot-kick from Josep Drmic to win the game in the Guimaraes sunshine.
Hans Jorg-Butt
Juventus v BAYERN MUNICH, Champions League 2009
Hans Jorg-Butt was one of the only goalkeepers in the modern era to score prolifically in a top European league. For Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, the German international scored an impressive 26 career goals from penalties and freekicks.
One of the most important would be in the Champions League group stage in 2009, in a match in Turin that Bayern needed a result in to progress.
The Bavarians were behind early on to Juventus after a David Trezeguet goal, but the Bayern goalkeeper scored from the spot after half an hour to score his first for the club. They went onto win the game 4-1 and subsequently reached the Champions League final in the same season.
Ricardo
PORTUGAL v England, Euro 2004
A second inclusion involving England playing in Portugal, but with a very different outcome.
Talk about penalty shoot-out heroics… Ricardo’s exploits in the Quarter Final of Euro 2004 for hosts Portugal against England is the stuff of legend.
In sudden death with the scores level during the penalty shoot-out, after a 2-2 draw in 120 minutes, Ricardo saved Darius Vassell’s penalty without any gloves on!
Despite his unprotected hands being stung (or not if Vassell’s tame spot kick is anything to go by) the Sporting Lisbon ‘keeper, still un-gloved, rifled the next penalty home to send Portugal into the semis. The man’s finest hour in international football, in his own club’s stadium.