Madrid and Barça awarded most penalties in Champions League history
Real Madrid and Barcelona have been awarded 42 penalties each, while Cristiano Ronaldo has scored the most penalties, since the competition began in 1992.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are the two teams that have been awarded the most penalties in the history of the Champions League, according to a report released by Uefa. Out of the 631 penalties that referees have awarded since the competition began in 1992, 84 of them (13 percent of the total) have gone in favour of the two LaLiga giants: 42 to Real Madrid and 42 to Barcelona.
The fact that Madrid and Barcelona have played the most Champions League games (Madrid: 253; Barcelona: 252) in the history of the competition probably has some bearing on the statistics, which show that the two Spanish clubs average a penalty decision in their favour every six games. Under this measure, both clubs are surpassed by Manchester City (14 penalties) and Seville (11 penalties) who get a penalty every four games on average.
In terms of penalties conceded, Real Madrid are also on top and level with Arsenal: the two clubs have each given away 23 penalties since 1992. Behind them are Bayern Munich (22), Olympiacos (18) and Barcelona (17). The team with the worst penalty concession average is Anderlecht, who concede a penalty approximately every six games.
Player statistics
(None of these statistics include penalty shootouts)
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored the most penalties in the history of the competition, with 15 of his 18 spot kicks finding the back of the net. Behind him is rival Lionel Messi (11 out of 14), Ruud Van Nistelrroy (10 out of 14). But Robert Lewandowski and Alessandro Del Piero have the best strike rate (from a minimum of five penalties), with both players at 100 percent, having scored seven from seven.
Eden Hazard is the player with worst conversion rate with 57 percent (four goals from seven attempts), followed by Thierry Henry at 60 percent (three from five) and Hulk at 60 percent (three from five).
Between the posts, no goalkeeper has stopped more than Peter Cech (5 from 11) and former Madrid keeper Iker Casillas (9 from 19), although the latter has not saved a penalty in the competition since December, 2009 and has conceded his last eight. Atlético Madrid’s Jan Oblak, who was heavily criticized for his performance in the Champions League final shootout against Real Madrid in 2016, has a 100 percent stop rate, having saved two from two.
Overall, out of the 631 penalties awarded, 488 were scored (77 percent), 38 were missed (6 percent) and 103 were stopped (17 percent). .
