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Why do stars take penalties?

On Saturday, Lionel Messi buried a 94th-minute penalty past Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves at the Mestalla. It was a hugely significant goal that meant Barcelona travelled back up the coast with three points after a 3-2 victory. In a wider context, it might have a significant impact upon Messi's goal-scoring record at the end of his career.

For all Messi's superhuman talents -- there's an argument that the Argentine is or has been the world's best dribbler, creator and goal scorer during his career -- his penalty-taking record is not particularly impressive. His record over the course of his career hovers around the 80 percent mark, roughly the average across football's top divisions.