The Importance of Penalty Kicks in the Bundesliga: Scorer List with and without Penalties

If Borussia Dortmund does not intercept FC Bayern on the three remaining matchdays, the missed penalty kick in favor of the Black and Yellows in the 1-1 draw at VfL Bochum will go down in history as one of the absolute key moments of the season. Of course, BVB would have had the chance to collect enough points on 33 other match days and even in Bochum. However, in a low-scoring sport like football, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of the high probability of scoring a penalty.

In the current season, the shooters of the 18 Bundesliga clubs have, according to the portal Transfer market the remarkable hit rate of 76.3 percent when attacking from eleven meters; only about every fourth attempt from the penalty mark is not used. In this respect, Dortmund fans can assume with some justification that the penalty would have been converted in Bochum and the game would have been won as a result, even if the next penalty on Sunday against VfL Wolfsburg was not in the net but after a shot by Karim Adeyemi well over the crossbar . What makes the goal probability of 76.3 percent penalty kicks blatantly important also has a huge influence on what is probably the most prestigious individual honor in the Bundesliga: the top scorers list is full of players who take on their teams’ penalties.

Ducksch and Gregoritsch in front of a filling jug and Grifo

Niclas Füllkrug, for example, has already scored five times from eleven meters, after all it accounts for almost a third of his 16 goals this season. With Vincenzo Grifo there are even six of 13 goals this season that came from the point, i.e. just over 46 percent. This means that the two specialists are not only far ahead in the top scorer list in the Bundesliga, but also at the top internally at their clubs. If you take penalty goals out of the picture, the picture changes: At Werder Bremen it is no longer Füllkrug, but his strike partner Marvin Ducksch, who is the number one on the internal scorer list, at SC Freiburg Michael Gregoritsch Grifo replaces.

Penalties are also subject to chance

Of course, it’s just a gimmick and penalties have their place in scoring. However, the episode in Bochum, when BVB was denied a completely obvious whistle, also shows that penalties are subject to a certain coincidence. In the current season, for example, TSG Hoffenheim have already been awarded eight penalties, while VfL Bochum and 1.FC Köln only have three. There is no connection with a particularly offensive style of play, in any case FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund each received comparatively few penalties, but in addition to Hoffenheim, Hertha BSC is another relegation fighter with seven penalties. In a way, therefore, it seems appropriate to keep a ‘clean’ scorer list without penalties. It would be even more exciting than the actual ranking that Füllkrug leads: Marcus Thuram as the new best shooter would only have one hit ahead of Ducksch, the top 10 would only be separated by three hits.

The scorer list without penalties

1. Marcus Thuram, Borussia Monchengladbach, 13

2. Marvin Ducksch, Werder Bremen, 12

3. Niclas Full Pitcher, Werder Bremen, 11

= 3. Randal Kolo Muani, Eintracht Frankfurt, 11

= 3. Jamal Musiala, FC Bayern, 11th

= 3. Christopher Nkunku, RB Leipzig, 11

7. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, FC Bayern, 10

= 7. Serge Gnabry, FC Bayern, 10

= 7. Michael Gregoritsch, SC Freiburg, 10

= 7. Jonas Hofmann, Borussia Monchengladbach, 10