Player Focus: Messi & Ronaldo Can't Compete Among Best Free-Kick Takers

It took a wonderful first half save from Kasper Schmeichel to deny Zlatan Ibrahimovic from opening the scoring when Sweden hosted Denmark on Saturday evening. The hosts eventually ran out 2-1 victors, with Ibrahimovic netting the decisive goal from the spot, but had Schmeichel not been on his toes, it could well have been worse for the Danes. 

The PSG striker’s rasping free-kick was tipped round the post by the Leicester City shotstopper with what was a stunning save to deny Ibrahimovic. The power the Swede can generate from his venomous right foot and tendency with which he hits the target means he is considered an ideal set piece taker. Given how hard he can strike the ball from a dead ball situation, if he can hit the target, surely more often than not he will score?

However, the frequency with which Ibrahimovic nets from free-kicks is low. In his last three seasons, the PSG frontman has scored just three goals from direct free-kicks. Of course, given the standard of goalkeeping Schmeichel showcased at the weekend, finding a way to get the ball up and over or past the wall and then beat the goalkeeper is often easier said than done. Nevertheless, having attempted 61 shots from free-kicks since the start of the 2013/14 season Ibrahimovic is clearly no expert.

The stand out exception is perhaps Bayer Leverkusen’s Hakan Calhanoglu, whose set piece ability is one of the best on the continent. The Turkish attacker has scored more free-kicks (11) than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues in the last three seasons, further accentuating his statistically calculated WhoScored strengths of ‘taking set pieces’ and ‘direct free-kicks’. However, that he has required 82 attempts to reach such a figure - garnering a conversion rate of 13.4% - means he, despite his dead ball prowess, isn’t the most prolific set piece specialist in Europe’s top 5 leagues. 

Of those to net at least three direct free-kicks from a minimum of 20 efforts in the last three seasons, Miralem Pjanic (18.4%) boasts the best free-kick conversion rate in Europe’s top five leagues. The Roma midfielder has mustered 38 shots on goal from set pieces in that time, further amplifying his quality from such situations. 

It’s a far cry from those who one might automatically consider to boast the natural ability to consistently net from dead ball situations. Ibrahimovic, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi - three players generally spoken of as the best in the game at present - all regularly struggle to hit the back of the net from free-kicks. Given their natural talent, the consensus is that these three should indeed fare better from set pieces than they currently do. 

Only Johannes Geis (3.9%) boasts a worse free-kick conversion rate than Ibrahimovic (4.9%) of those the net three or more goals from set pieces in Europe’s top five leagues in the last three seasons. Given Ibrahimovic’s on-field persona, though, he is unlikely to relinquish such responsibilities, which is why no other PSG player features on the 27-man list. The same cannot be said for Ronaldo (6.8% conversion rate) and Messi (5.7%), who feature behind teammates - James Rodriguez (14.8%) and Gareth Bale (12.5%) Ronaldo's instance and Luis Suarez (10.3%) in Messi's, though the latter’s three free-kicks were scored in his final season for Liverpool. 

Nevertheless, the differing techniques adopted by both Ronaldo and Messi mean it’s difficult to distinguish how both fail to deliver so regularly from dead ball situations. Ronaldo is a player who adopts power as a means of testing the opposition goalkeeper, utilising a ‘knuckleshot’ so the ball swerves in the air before reaching its intended target. While highly effective when the ball is struck properly, the approach can be terribly inconsistent. Only Calhanoglu (82) and Geis (76) have had more shots from free kicks than Ronaldo (73) in Europe’s top five leagues in the last five seasons, with the Portuguese scoring just 5 times. 

Messi, meanwhile, adopts a more measured approach, instead utilising his technique to get the ball up and over the wall to hit the target. However, this gives goalkeepers the chance to properly set themselves to counter the Argentine. Granted, Messi is a performer whose exploits are unparalleled in world football, but this area of his game is one that - along with penalties - he is far from without equal. 

Rodriguez, Bale and Suarez’s availability and previous set piece prowess means both Madrid and Barcelona boast free-kick taking options beyond Ronaldo and Messi, a benefit to respective managers Rafa Benitez and Luis Enrique. Should either be unavailable for any reason - Messi, incidentally, is currently sidelined due to injury - then both managers have adequate set piece options to counter their absence. The same can perhaps not be said of Laurent Blanc and PSG. 

Given their ability one would expect the trio of Ibrahimovic, Ronaldo and Messi to feature higher in terms of free-kick conversion rate. However, the figures clearly show that the world class triumvirate, despite their obvious quality, lack the necessary attributes to consistently test the opposition goalkeeper. The likes of Pjanic and Calhanoglu are in a different league entirely over a dead ball.

Who do you think are among the best free-kick takers in Europe? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below