Neymar and Terry’s failure against Manchester United named among worst penalties ever taken

The standard of penalty-taking has increased exponentially but scoring from 12 yards was made to look incredibly difficult by John Terry, Neymar and friends.

Ademola Lookman vs West Ham

A late penalty in injury time to score and draw the game, then-Fulham loanee Ademola Lookman tried a Panenka but hit it so weakly that Lukasz Fabianski dived, stopped then had time to get up and save it. Humiliating attempt because he was trying something designed to show off.

Pat Nevin vs Manchester City

Pat might be the best pundit around today but took a terrible too-cool-for-school penalty in 1984. He took a short run up, then slowly and predictably side-footed it along the ground to be easily collected by the keeper. He was usually Chelsea’s Player of the Season, so the fans must have found it funny.

Ante Budimir vs Valencia

The Osasuna man took one of the worst penalties ever in an attempt to draw the game late on. He tried a stuttering run up, lost his balance and nearly fell over, flicking tamely at the ball as he did so, sending it dribbling towards the goal. The keeper almost looks sorry for him.

Bersant Celina vs West Brom

He used to play for Manchester City but he was at Swansea playing West Brom when he took a classic rubbish penalty by kicking the ball with his standing foot as he ran up. Result? The ball trickled to the right quite harmlessly.

Robert Pires vs Manchester City

Remember this? Yeah, only 19 years ago now! As if being 12 yards out with only the keeper to beat was too hard, Pires tries to pass the ball from the spot to Thierry Henry for absolutely no good reason and misses the ball. Henry fails to collect it and the defence snaffle the ball away. Too clever for their own good, Danny Mills reckoned.

Peter Devine v Whitley Bay

The most famous thing anyone from Lancaster City has ever done. I think he twanged a hammy during the run up, his knees almost give way, making him stagger into the ball, which dribbles forward a few feet rather hopelessly. Sad rather than mad.

Neymar Jr v Colombia

Not a mistake or stumble but one of the biggest misses it’s possible to achieve from the spot, as Brazil’s part-time footballer, party boy and money hoover launches the ball as high over the bar as can be achieved from 12 yards. It’s straight down the middle too and hit with some force. It’s probably still travelling now nine years later, having achieved near-orbit.

Mehmet Aurelio v Gimnastic

Astonishing slice in which the Real Betis man swipes at the ball in a tangle of incoherent legs which saw it disappear in the direction of the corner flag. Hard to believe you could kick it any wider.

John Terry v Manchester United

Made all the more a hilarious miss by the fact Terry, who didn’t take penalties, fancied being a hero by taking the winning one in the Champions League final shoot-out. He slipped and managed to hit the ball wide whilst almost horizontal, after clearly thinking, ‘this will be easy’. Led to possibly the most schadenfreude ever felt by people who were not Chelsea fans.

And a good one for fun…

Chloe Kelly v Sweden

The last penalty in a shoot-out to go through to the quarter-final. Probably the best strike I’ve ever seen, she shows everyone how to do it. She’s coolness personified and addresses the ball without emotion, staring it down. She lifts her left leg up and with a hop and a couple of well-timed steps, hits the ball with both feet off the ground and absolutely canes it into the net with fierce power. Glorious and extraordinary.