Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has made a significant change to his team’s penalty-taking responsibilities by removing Vinicius Jr from the role of designated penalty-taker.
Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to change a penalty taker comes on the heels of Vinicius’ disappointing performance during their recent La Liga match, where he missed a crucial penalty in the team’s 2-1 defeat to Valencia.
Vinicius’s penalty miss against Valencia was particularly notable; he failed to give his team an early advantage as his weak shot was easily saved by Valencia’s goalkeeper, Giorgi Mamardashvili.
This miss marked Vinicius’ second failure to convert a penalty in the current 2024-2025 season, having earlier been unable to score from the spot in a Champions League match against rivals Atletico Madrid.
According to Marca, Kylian Mbappe will assume the responsibility of taking penalties starting with the upcoming UEFA Champions League match against Arsenal. The match is scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. at the Emirates Stadium in London on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.
The shift in penalty duties is a strategic move by Carlo Ancelotti, who is looking for more reliable execution during high-stakes moments. Interestingly, the report states that if Mbappe struggles with penalties as well, Jude Bellingham will be next in line to step up to the spot.
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