Here’s the updated version of Kev in Canada’s Euro 2020 fantasy penalty takers article. There’s additional notes as the situation for each team has evolved
Euro 2020 Fantasy Penalty Takers – Kev In Canada’s Updated Schedule
We’ll be doing a load of articles for the Euro 2020 fantasy here. Here’s the link to the site
There’s a FFGeek league use the league code 49KWOPI907 to copy and paste into the join league section
Also see my article on the rules and Rob Reid’s first draft team and the Geeks team
Kev in Canada’s updated (2 June) penalty takers article
UPDATED – JUNE 2, 2021
UEFA Euro 2020 (2021) Fantasy: Penalty Taker Primer
By: Kev In Canada
Hey friends. It is almost time for Euro 2020 Fantasy tournament. Even though my focus is still #FPL, I figured I would dive into the live Euro fantasy site.
(The Euro Fantasy site is now live here: LINK )
If you recall, in 2018 VAR was brought into the spotlight, as penalties were awarded at a record-breaking pace. VAR has knowing each team’s penalty taker may be a helpful tool in deciding who to have in your fantasy lineup. It even made unique legends, like Sweden’s penalty taking defender Andreas Granqvist, who scored 2 penalties in the tournament.
VAR is back for 2020* so we need to know who takes the pens for each team!
How this Primer was Put Together
Sadly there is no site that tells us who each team’s pen taker is. So a lot of research was needed.
My process was straightforward, but time consuming. I went to each team’s transfermarkt website and went through every penalty taken for the past few years.
For each team; the spot kick taker was not as obvious as Ronaldo, Kane or Depay, so this primer may not paint the entire picture. So please feel free to comment below if you have some sourced intel on a team to help update this primer! Thank you if you do.
Some Notes From the Findings:
•I tried to add some soundbites for some of the more complex team scenarios.
•There seem to be as many as 4 Defenders taking penalties this year (although Granqvist may have lost it!)
•14/24 teams have a pretty well-known PK taker such as Harry Kane for England. The other ten teams are a bit murkier.
Penalty Spot Kickers by Country:
Austria
https://www.transfermarkt.us/osterreich/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3383
Marko Arnautovic – Forward – 7M
Marcel Sabitzer – Midfield – 8M
*Note: Sabitzer took the most recent pen, with Arnautovic not in the squad. Arnautovic took the two before that with Sabitzer on the field.
Belgium
https://www.transfermarkt.co.in/belgien/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3382
Eden Hazard – Midfielder – 10M
Romelu Lukaku – Forward – 11M
*Note: Lukaku took the most recent three penalties in 2020/2021 but Eden Hazard was not playing during any of them. When both played, Eden Hazard took the most recent Pen, in 2019/2020.
*Additional Update Note: Since I initially put this primer together, I have seen a lot of Lukaku shouts on other threads and such. I don’t see any rationale as to why or sourcing. So they must just be ignoring the fact Hazard wasn’t on the pitch when he took them. My money is still on Hazard, as he took his with Lukaku on the pitch.
Croatia
https://www.transfermarkt.us/kroatien/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3556
Luka Modric – Midfield – 8.5M
Ivan Perisic – Midfield – 8.5M
*Note: Modric should be nailed. Perisic did take one on October 2019 before Modric was subbed on. He missed it.
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Czech Republic
https://www.transfermarkt.us/tschechien/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3445
Vladimir Darida – Midfield – 7.5M
Patrick Schick – Forward – 8M
*Note: Tricky to call the shooter based on game sheets of last three years. All have been out there together at different times with different shooters. I would have preferred to put Schick at the top but his most recent kick came two years ago in June 10, 2019.
*Additional Update Note: Borek Dockal was not named in the final squad. So he has been removed from the original Primer list.
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Denmark
https://www.transfermarkt.us/danemark/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3436
Christian Eriksen – Midfield – 9M
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England
https://www.transfermarkt.com/england/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3299
Harry Kane – Forward – 11.5M
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Finland
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/finnland/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3443
Teemu Pukki – Forward – 7M
France
https://www.transfermarkt.us/frankreich/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3377
Karin Benzema – Forward – 10M
Kylian Mbappe – Forward – 12M
Antoine Griezmann – Forward – 11M
Olivier Giroud – Forward – Forward – 8M
*Note: This one is tricky. Mbappe has taken the most recent pen and missed. Griezmann has also been missing. Giroud pretty much shoots them all in but is not always first choice on the team sheet. I am not quite sure who will take it. My money is on Kylian Mbappe, as he has become a phenom and the face of the team.
*Additional Update Note: in the Friendly vs. Wales, with a full strength France squad, Karim Benzema took (and missed) a penalty. This adds more confusion to this already busy list of potential France penalty takers.
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Germany
https://www.transfermarkt.us/deutschland/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3262
Ilkay Gundogan – Midfield – 7.5M
Toni Kroos – Midfield – 7M
*There have been 4 penalties in the past 3 years. Ilkay has taken two and Toni has taken two. Neither have been on the field together for them. All four have gone in. My gut says Ilkay takes it, just because he took the most recent one. However, we don’t even know who will start. This situation is a bit risky.
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Hungary
https://www.transfermarkt.us/hungary/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3468/plus/0?saison_id=2020
Adam Szalai – Forward – 6M
Nemanja Nikolic – Forward – 5.5M
Roland Sallai – Forward – 6.5M
*Note: Talk about madness. There have only been three penalties taken in the last 7 years. They all happened IN THE SAME GAME just a few weeks ago on March 28th, 2021 and all three were taken by different shooters. Good luck guessing the shooter but probably a full avoid. I picked the team captain who took and scored the first penalty of the game when it was 0-0.
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Italy
https://www.transfermarkt.us/italien/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3376
Jorginho – Midfield – 6M
Ciro Immobile – Forward – 10M
*Note: Similar to Chelsea in FPL, we all hope the superstar forward is the spot kicker but in reality, if Jorginho is on the field he will likely take it.
*Additional Update Note: Jorginho was not in the 33 man roster, however it was clearly noted that they were just waiting for the Champions League final to play out before announcing him. I have seen some other lists since I put the initial primer out with Immobile ahead of him. Again, I don’t see sources or references. If you look at the game sheets in the link above JORGINHO TAKES THE PENS WHEN HE IS ON THE PITCH.
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Netherlands
https://www.transfermarkt.us/niederlande/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3379
Memphis Depay – Forward – 10M
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North Macedonia
https://www.transfermarkt.us/nordmazedonien/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/5148
Ezgjan Alioski – Defender – 4.5M
*Note: I am not sure why Nestorovski is not in the game. I am not up to speed with Team Selection for North Macedonia. I think the fact that Alioski is only 4.5M, and a defender that sometimes takes the kicks, is enough to be a staple in our squads. He is probably the hottest item on this entire list for fantasy purposes. Just be aware if Ilija comes back into the picture, as he took the most recent pen with both on the field.
*Additional Update Note: I removed Nestorovski from the initial primer. I have found out why he is not there. He yelled obscenities into the camera after scoring in a match and NM pulled him from the squad after that.
Poland
https://www.transfermarkt.com/polen/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3442
Robert Lewandowski – Forward – 11.5M
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Portugal
https://www.transfermarkt.us/portugal/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3300
Christiano Ronaldo – Forward – 12M
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Russia
https://www.transfermarkt.us/russland/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3448
Artem Dzyuba – Forward – 8.5M
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Scotland
https://www.transfermarkt.us/schottland/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3380
Ryan Christie – Midfield – 7M
John McGinn – Midfield – 7.5M
*Note: Fletcher took one with Christie on the pitch but it was over 2 years ago. Christie took the only two they had this year.
*Additional Update Note: Fletcher is not in the squad an has been removed. Also, fellow contributor, FPL Vet (Rob) has mentioned that he thinks McGinn will take pens. However, in my sourcing he has never taken a mid-game pen before for Scotland. I understand he is the talisman so I have added him as second. However Christie has been the main pen taker (with McGinn on the pitch too). If Christie is on the pitch he seems to be the man.
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Slovakia
https://www.transfermarkt.com/slovakia/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3503/plus/0?saison_id=2020
Merek Hamsik – Midfielder – 8M
Jan Gregus – Midfielder – 6M
*Note: This is probably the murkiest scenario on this primer outside of Hungary. Duda is not even listed on the link as taking a penalty, I have no source that he is the pen taker. It was listed on a site from years ago. The only penalties on Transfermarkt have happened while Duda has not been on the pitch. Gregus seems to be the one to take it in that scenario but it was a Friendly. Therefore I do not have confidence in him and would just gamble on Duda. This is not a great source though.
*Additional Update Note: This is still the most difficult one, as this team hasn’t really taken penalties for the past few years. Gregus is the one that has taken them but Hamsik was not on the pitch. I have listened to podcasts and read articles and it seems that Hamsik is clearly the team’s talisman. So I have put him ahead of Gregus. However, Hamsik has not actually ever taken a penalty for Slovakia before on the game sheets above so BUYER BEWARE.
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Spain
https://www.transfermarkt.us/spanien/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3375
Alvaro Morata – Forward – 9M
Gerard Moreno – Forward – 6.5M
*Note: Lots and lots of pens taken by Ramos over the years. Will he be fit to play? He seems like a staple for our lineups if he does, even though he is the most expensive defender to own.
*Additional Update Note: The toughest blow so far in my opinion (as far as pens go) is that Sergio Ramos will not be at the Euros. We lose a nailed, defender taking pens, on a top team. Morata has taken a pen for Spain, however if you watch film of that pen, Ramos walked over and gave him the ball (much to Morata’s surprise!). I have also added Gerard Moreno. Similar to Scotland, fellow contributor and Spain countryman Sergio Torija, has informed me that he believes Gerard Moreno will be the spot kicker. He is in extremely hot form and a Europa win. While Morata has taken 12 penalties in his career (converting 11); Gerard has taken 24 penalties and converted 20 of them. It is a coin toss as to who takes them, however I have Morata slightly ahead just in the spirit of the link above and that he has taken one for Spain before.
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Sweden
https://www.transfermarkt.us/sweden/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3557/plus/0?saison_id=2020
Sebastian Larsson – Midfield – 6M
Andrewas Granqvist – Defender 5M
*Note: World Cup 2018 super hero, Granqvist, missed a pen in 2019 and Larsson has been taking them since! Unfortunate I know. However he is still probably worth owning, just in case he is a pen taker, as the fact he is a defender is such a large advantage.
*Additional Update Note: Unfortunately Zlatan was injured last minute. He would have been added if he made the squad.
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Switzerland
https://www.transfermarkt.us/schweiz/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3384
Ricardo Rodriquez – Defender – 5.5M
*Note: DEFENDER taking pens Alert!
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Turkey
https://www.transfermarkt.us/turkey/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3381/plus/0?saison_id=2020
Burak Yilmaz – Forward – 8M
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Ukraine
https://www.transfermarkt.us/ukraine/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3699
Andriy Yarmolenko – Midfield – 8.5M
Ruslan Malinovskyi – Midfield – 7M
*Note: A bit murky as both have taken a pen with the other on the field. It seems like Yarmolenko. He did miss the most recent pen though. This is not a clear situation, unfortunately. Yarmo is also quite expensive (same price as Modric) so perhaps it is best to avoid.
Wales
https://www.transfermarkt.us/wales/elfmeterschuetzen/verein/3864
Gareth Bale – Midfield – 9.5M
Aaron Ramsey – Midfield – 8.5M
Here’s the penalty takers in a schedule form
Penalty taker team
Here’s Kev’s original penalty taker team.
It’s still mostly relevant although Ramos obviously isn’t going. The non penalty takers are the GKs, obviously, Ramos as he’s not going and Cetin.
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