Bring on the shootouts say Germany; please no, say English and Dutch

DUESSELDORF, Germany : Euro 2024’s Round of 16 starts on Saturday and with it the potential for penalty shootouts, a prospect that sends some countries into meltdown while others embrace the 'loneliest walk in sport' already believing they have a foot in the next round.

The first major international shootout took place to decide the final of the 1976 European Championship, when Czechoslovakia beat West Germany via the nonchalant chip of Antonin Panenka.

Since then there have been a further 21 shootouts at the Euros, an average of more than one in every five matches culminating at Wembley three years ago when Italy beat England in the second final at the continental competition to go to spot kicks - all lovingly recorded by Roberto Di Maggio of the Record of Sport Soccer Statistics Foundation.

The Czechs won the next one too, in the 1980 third/fourth playoff, and another in the 1996 semi-final against France and have the proud record of converting all 20 of their attempts, including a marathon 9-8 success in 1980.

It’s fair to say that Germany learned from that initial defeat, establishing themselves as the masters from 12 yards.

They won their next two Euros shootouts and four out of four at the World Cup. In all they have slotted a remarkable 32 of 37 attempts, so should any of their games go to the ultimate decider, German fans are unlikely to be hiding behind their sofas.

England, partly thanks to the Germans, have the opposite relationship with shootouts. They actually started well at the Euros, beating Spain at Wembley in the quarter-finals in 1996, but then lost to Germany in the semis, with current manager Gareth Southgate the man responsible for the decisive miss.

They lost again to Portugal in 2004, Italy in the 2012