COOL AS ICE

Taking a penalty in a shootout is arguably the most difficult act in football

- Mark Gleeson

Italian footballer Andrea Pirlo once described the approach to the penalty spot as an "endless, terrible walk into one's fears". To have to do so in a World Cup final must be nigh on petrifying.

Argentina's success over France in the shootout that decided the outcome of last year's World Cup in Qatar was all about the pressure, according to research into the art of taking a penalty - both in extremely stressful situation of a determinant post-match shootout and in a match, as we saw twice from Kylian Mbappé at Lusail Stadium.

The studies show the psychological burden of a penalty shootout is the most important factor in whether or not a player scores. It is more vital than skill, fatigue or experience, which are crucial elements in other areas of the game.

The University of Groningen in the Netherlands has analysed 41 shootouts, comprising 409 penalty kicks from the World Cup, European Championship tournament and the Copa América over a two-decade period. They evaluated the effects of players' positions, be it forward, midfielder or defender, and the level of fatigue, in other words the number of minutes on the field before the shootout, on their chances of converting the kicks.

The study did not spend time on whether it is better to go right, left or down the centre with the shot, but rather what went on before the kick was taken.