World Cup: Science reveals the secret behind good penalty kicks

Thirty-five have been missed with 22 of those saved by the keeper.

That said, there is no substitute for practice.

In the days before computers and penalty specialists, the Hungarian great Ferenc Puskas used the simplest of techniques to ensure that he would slot home a penalty.

He would hang a disc 80cm below the crossbar and aim at it, again, again and again, until he got it right.