Article #72601

The pain of the penalty shootout is the cruellest fate in football. A single spot kick can easily decide the outcome of a game at a World Cup, making any advantage in taking a penalty crucial.

So what can we learn about the best strategy for penalty kicks from statistics and research? Guardian Sport's Nikhita Chulani looks what the data tells us about the art of the perfect penalty.

• World Cup glory could all come down to penalties. What’s the best strategy?