The 3 Players to Take Penalties for Real Madrid Next Season After Vinicius’ Miss Against Barcelona

• Carlo Ancelotti has outlined three players to assume penalty duties for Real Madrid next season
• The Italian manager drafted the contingency plan following Vinicius' penalty miss against Barcelona
• Karim Benzema was the substantive penalty taker prior to his move to Al-Ittihad

Carlo Ancelotti has disclosed his preferred candidates for penalty-taking duties after Vinicius Junior's unsuccessful attempt against Barcelona in pre-season.

The departure of Karim Benzema to Al-Ittihad has left Real Madrid with the task of finding a suitable replacement for their designated penalty taker.

While his position on the team can be managed in terms of personnel and tactics, his almost flawless penalty-taking ability will be sorely missed if the matter is not resolved before the new season begins, per Transfermarkt.

In his first attempt since Benzema's departure, Vinicius had a forgettable moment as his effort hit the crossbar during Real Madrid's humbling 3-0 defeat against arch-rivals Barcelona, according to El Futbolero.

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Among the potential candidates is the veteran Croatian midfielder Luka Modric. However, with the emergence of Jude Bellingham, it appears that Modric may be starting most of the games from the bench, which somewhat rules him out as a first-choice candidate for penalty duties.

On the other hand, Brazilian forward Rodrygo's name has come up in discussions as a potential penalty-taker for Madrid.

Reflecting on the situation, Ancelotti commented after Vinicius's miss against Barca:

"Penalties? We're trying things out. Modric, who usually takes them, was missing. It could be Vini Jr, Modric or Rodrygo. Vini missed today, but he's a very good penalty taker."

5 takeaways from Madrid's Clasico loss

Sports Brief examines the five key takeaways from the heated 'El Clasico Americano' between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Real Madrid's impressive start to preseason came to a sudden halt when Barcelona handed them a resounding 3-0 defeat in their El Clasico showdown on Saturday, July 29.

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Los Blancos were considered strong favourites before their reunion with Barcelona in Arlington, Texas, United States of America.

Vini prematurely celebrates in Clasico

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Barcelona earned the El Clasico bragging rights after beating bitter rivals Real Madrid 3-0 in an ill-tempered pre-season friendly in Texas, USA. Madrid had 29 shots at goal and hit the woodwork five times during the match.

Vinicius Jr. was one of the players who hit the woodwork with a ferocious effort in the first half. He started celebrating prematurely as his teammates scrambled for the ball in Barcelona's box.