Karim Benzema had missed not one but two penalties in the match a week before his club’s Champions League semi-final first leg at the Etihad Stadium. It is why he has been lauded to the hilt for having the gumption to take another one. Real Madrid were not at risk of dropping points against Osasuna so his two failures in seven minutes hardly made the news. But to have missed yet again with his team trailing in such a crucial game would have brought all manner of gasps, heartache and potential ridicule. “I always have it in my head that if you don’t take a penalty, you will never miss a penalty,” Benzema said after Tuesday’s match.

Source: The Times April 27, 2022 21:15 UTC