Robert Lewandowski takes penalties the way an accountant does the monthly returns. There is no emotion in it and very little variation. The ball goes in.
He has scored over 80 career penalties for Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, with a conversion rate of approximately 90%, one of the highest among active players. Goalkeepers study his technique before matches. It still does not stop him with any real consistency.
Scoring from everywhere
Penalties are only one part of his output. This is the striker who scored 5 goals in 9 minutes against Wolfsburg in 2015, and who won 8 consecutive Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich, where spot kicks were a regular weapon.
The method is precise rather than spectacular. Lewandowski is patient on the approach, reads the goalkeeper and places the ball where it needs to go. Among the European strikers of the last decade, few have been as dependable from 12 yards, and his Bundesliga record from the spot stands with the best.
Technique, composure and the numbers to go with them. He is one of the best penalty takers still playing, and he is number 14.
Tomorrow: number 13.
