Pep Guardiola takes Riyad Mahrez off penalty duty after Manchester City star’s latest miss vs Dortmund

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Boss on Oct 26, 2022 - 08:20PM

Riyad Mahrez has converted just 22 of 32 penalties throughout his career (Photo: Getty)

says that Riyad Mahrez will be ‘taking a break’ from taking penalties for after his latest miss against Borussia Dortmund.

Mahrez won a penalty and subsequently stepped up to the spot during City’s clash in Germany on Tuesday night.

However his effort was poor, far too close to the keeper, allowing Gregor Kobel to make an easy save, with the game eventually finishing goalless.

While a draw was enough to seal the Citizens’ place at the top of their group, their penalty problems are still persisting, with City missing 25 of the 80 spot-kicks they have been awarded since Guardiola’s arrival, the most of any Premier League club in that time.

It is also the second Champions League game in a row that Mahrez has missed from the spot, having done so in the goalless draw at Copenhagen.

In the absence of the legendary Sergio Aguero, City have lacked a consistent penalty taker in recent seasons, with Mahrez, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Rodri, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus sharing the duty.

‘Of course it’s a problem, we have missed 25 penalties since I’ve been here – most of them in the Champions League. It’s too much,’ Guardiola told BT Sport.

Mahrez has now missed two Champions League penalties in a row (Photo: Getty)

‘I always admire the courage to take them, but of course we miss a lot of penalties. We missed one in Copenhagen and here as well. In this competition it’s fine margins.’

Summer signing Erling Haaland appears to be City’s first-choice penalty taker now, having netted two already this season, but the prolific striker had been subbed off by the time the penalty against Dortmund was awarded.

He boasts an incredible penalty record having scored 28 out of 30 penalties so far in his career, compared to Mahrez’s rather poor record of 22 out of 32.

And Guardiola believes the time has come for the Algerian winger to take a break from spot-kick duties, adding: ‘I admire the courage and bravery of the guys who take the penalties.

‘Riyad was exceptional two or three years ago, he shoot the pen to go 1-1 here to help us reach the semi for the first time.

‘Lately, he missed. He will reflect. He can take a break now with the penalties.

‘He has the mentality to go there and do it. The teams are physically strong and we give advantage to them – it happened too many times. It’s many players.’