Real Madrid are facing a worrying trend when it comes to penalties—not in winning them, but in finishing them. Despite being the team that has earned the most penalties this season across Europe’s top five leagues and all competitions, their conversion rate is alarmingly poor.

With Federico Valverde’s recent miss against Al Hilal, the team has now failed to convert seven of their 19 penalty attempts. That makes them the worst among elite clubs in terms of penalty efficiency.

What's particularly concerning is the variety of culprits. The misses have been spread across multiple players: Mbappé (3), Vinicius Jr. (2), Bellingham (1), and Valverde (1). And this doesn’t even include penalty shootouts—like Lucas Vázquez’s failed attempt against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League round of 16.

Several of these failed spot-kicks had real consequences. Mbappé’s errors at San Mamés and Anfield cost Real Madrid crucial equalizing goals in games they would go on to lose. Vinicius missed a penalty in the Champions League tie against Atleti that could have sealed the game in regulation. Most recently, Valverde’s miss prevented Madrid from opening the Club World Cup with a victory.

When compared to other European giants, the issue becomes even more evident: Inter Milan: 3 misses in 17 attempts; Bayern Munich: 1 in 16; Borussia Dortmund: 2 in 15; Manchester City & Arsenal: 4 misses each—still better than Madrid

With such a stacked squad, Madrid's inability to consistently convert from the spot is a surprising Achilles’ heel—one that could have bigger consequences if not addressed soon.

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