Kylian Mbappe had a remarkable season with Real Madrid leading into Sundayās Spanish Clasico against Barcelona, continuing his scoring form from last year. The star forward opened the scoring but saw a penalty saved, drawing immediate comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Mbappeās performance included the opening goal, the missed penalty against Wojciech Szczesny, two disallowed goals, and constant threats whenever he ran at the Barcelona defense. Every sprint seemed to spark alarms in the backline.
In the 51st minute, the referee awarded a controversial penalty after a handball call on Eric GarcĆa, following multiple rebounds off Jude Bellingham and GarcĆa himself. Mbappe stepped up to the spot but Szczesny made a key save with his left hand, keeping the score in check.
Despite the miss, Mbappe extended his LaLiga scoring streak to seven consecutive matches, maintaining his lead atop the scoring charts with 11 goals. The Frenchmanās influence on Real Madrid remained undeniable throughout the Clasico.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo during a Real Madrid vs Barcelona game.
Have Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi ever missed a penalty in a Clasico?
The historic rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the Spanish Clasico saw neither player miss a penalty during regulation time. Across their numerous encounters in LaLiga, the Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa de EspaƱa, both maintained a perfect record from the spot. This flawless streak highlighted the immense pressure each handled in soccerās most intense club fixture.
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Even when extending the analysis to extra time, the stat holds: zero misses. Clasicos rarely went beyond 90 minutes, but in the few cases that reached 120 minutesāmost notably in Copa del Rey finals or Supercopa matchesāno penalties were awarded or missed by either superstar. Their composure under pressure was absolute, always converting when called upon.
And in penalty shootouts?
Regarding shootouts, Messiās Barcelona never faced Cristiano Ronaldoās Real Madrid in a direct penalty-deciding scenario. Therefore, neither player took a penalty in such high-stakes circumstances during a Clasico. The record remains perfect: Messi and Ronaldo failed zero penalties in regulation, extra time, or shootouts throughout the history of the Spanish Clasico.
