Pranav Nair
Manchester United star David de Gea seen practising penalties following Europa League heartbreak
According to The Sun, Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea was seen practising spot-kicks as Spain prepare for their last-16 tie in the European Championship.
La Furia Roja take on World Cup finalists Croatia in the knockout tie on Monday. The Spaniards failed to show bite in their first two group stage clashes become exploding into form against Slovakia.
Spain have been woeful from six yards out. They have missed their last six penalties and will need to be more clinical in the upcoming fixtures. There is little room for error in the knockout stages and the last thing Spain want to do is shoot themselves in their own feet.
De Gea for one will not be keen to history repeat itself. The 30-year-old was in goal as United fell to Villarreal on penalties in the Europa League final last month. Not only did the Spaniard fail to save a single spot-kick but also missed his in sudden death to hand the Yellow Submarines their first major title.
Perhaps alarmingly, De Gea has failed to save a spot-kick in a competitive match since 2016. He has conceded 40 penalties in a row without making a single save. It is a massive blot on a keeper considered one of the best in the business.
With his position at Old Trafford far from secure, working on what is clearly a weak area for him is a welcome sight. Whether this will pay off in the tournament remains to be seen.
Whether De Gea will even be called upon to perform in a shootout for Spain is debatable. That is because he is currently behind Unai Simon in the pecking order. The Athletic Bilbao ace has started all three group stage games and is unlikely to be dropped against Croatia.
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But one can never know when fortune gives you an opportunity. It is better for De Gea to be prepared just in case he is called upon to make a difference.
