CHELSEA legend Pat Nevin reckons Kylian Mbappe will not change his penalty taking routine despite fluffing his lines against Morocco.
France booked their place in the World Cup semi-finals even though their skipper, 27, had a first half spot-kick saved by Yassine Bounou.
Kylian Mbappe missed from the spot against Morocco Credit: Getty
Pat Nevin reckons the French superstar will not change his routine Credit: Getty
It came just 48 hours after Lionel Messi also during Argentina’s stunning comeback victory over Egypt.
Both superstars stuttered during their run-up – and Nevin has revealed it is a last-ditch attempt to get an advantage over the goalkeeper.
The former winger, 62, told BBC Radio Five Live: “There is an arms race going on.
“It is definitely harder to score a penalty now. The reason being, the goalkeepers are bigger now, more athletic.
“If your keeper goes the right way, you must hit the side netting with pace, even then it still might be saved.
“A very good penalty is no longer a certainty, so you have to re-think it. I need to make sure he goes the wrong way, hence the stutter, you try to send them the wrong way.
“Of course the goalkeepers have the data, they know what everybody does, there is no hiding what you prefer because it shows up.
“There is a constant running battle to figure out how you get the advantage.
Lionel Messi had his penalty saved against Egypt Credit: Reuters
“ knows what his advantage is – preparation. He has a set up [placing the ball before taking the penalty].
“He went through it twice but the problem is that he had to go through it three times, and the third time [he had it saved].”
Bruno Guimaraes and Jorgen Strand Larsen are also among the big names to have missed using the routine at the World Cup.
It backfired on England skipper as well, only for his blushes to be spared with a retake.
Only 15 of the 26 stutter penalties taken at the World Cup, including during shootouts, have found the net.
, Neymar, Raul Jimenez, Yoane Wissa and Marko Arnautovic have got their names on the scoresheet by using the method.
Twenty-four of the 35 non-stutter penalties taken during the summer extravaganza have ended up beating the keeper.
A massive 30 per cent of non-shootout spot-kicks have been missed at the tournament, which is the second most at any since records began in 1966.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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