Penalty expert Antonin Panenka believes that Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo will suffer a sorrowful game against the Czech Republic in the UEFA Euro 2012 quarter-finals.
Almost four decades have gone by since Czech legend Antonin Panenka famously sealed his country’s penalty shoot-out victory over Germany at Euro 1976. According the ex-Czechoslovakia international, Michal Bilek’s defensive plans against Paulo Bento’s team will work out perfectly.
“The game will end 1-1 and the Czech Republic will win in a penalty shoot-out,” Panenka predicted.
“We Czechs are colder than the Portuguese. They are too emotional and impulsive. In a scenario like this, in a penalty shoot-out, the calmer team wins. That will be an advantage for us.”
Should the game go into penalties, Cristiano Ronaldo will come under intense pressure to score. The former Manchester United and current Real Madrid player has wasted a number of crucial penalties in big occasions.
These include the 2008 Champions League final against Chelsea and the 2011 Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich. The 27-year-old superstar also had his spot kick saved during Portugal’s last pre-Euro 2012 match which ended in a 3-1 defeat to Turkey.
“I would say that Cristiano Ronaldo is better at free kicks than penalties. He trembles too much with penalties from what I’ve seen, but he’s under a lot of pressure,” Panenka analysed.
“For him to finish a game without scoring a goal is like losing a game. If he has to take a penalty I think he’ll miss again.”
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has never made a mistake from the penalty spot in major tournaments with Portugal.
In the quarter-finals of Euro 2004, the attacking player successfully converted his kick as Portugal went on to defeat England 6-5 on penalties. Two years later, Ronaldo netted the winning spot kick to fire his team in the semi-finals of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Portuguese fans will be hoping that Antonin Panenka's prediction comes back to haunt the Czechs.
“The game will end 1-1 and the Czech Republic will win in a penalty shoot-out,” Panenka predicted.
“We Czechs are colder than the Portuguese. They are too emotional and impulsive. In a scenario like this, in a penalty shoot-out, the calmer team wins. That will be an advantage for us.”
Should the game go into penalties, Cristiano Ronaldo will come under intense pressure to score. The former Manchester United and current Real Madrid player has wasted a number of crucial penalties in big occasions.
These include the 2008 Champions League final against Chelsea and the 2011 Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich. The 27-year-old superstar also had his spot kick saved during Portugal’s last pre-Euro 2012 match which ended in a 3-1 defeat to Turkey.
“I would say that Cristiano Ronaldo is better at free kicks than penalties. He trembles too much with penalties from what I’ve seen, but he’s under a lot of pressure,” Panenka analysed.
“For him to finish a game without scoring a goal is like losing a game. If he has to take a penalty I think he’ll miss again.”
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has never made a mistake from the penalty spot in major tournaments with Portugal.
In the quarter-finals of Euro 2004, the attacking player successfully converted his kick as Portugal went on to defeat England 6-5 on penalties. Two years later, Ronaldo netted the winning spot kick to fire his team in the semi-finals of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Portuguese fans will be hoping that Antonin Panenka's prediction comes back to haunt the Czechs.
