As a finisher, there are few players as composed as Messi. When you can score as many different kinds of goal as he can, you have every reason to be confident.
I always back myself as a finisher, but I always practise it as well. Every type of finish: left foot, right foot, headers, penalties, free kicks.
It's true that I score a lot of penalties. If referees give us penalties and the coach names me as the penalty-taker, I have to take them. That doesn't mean that I'm going to score them.
There are not many times when I get nervous, but I do a little bit with penalties.
Any one of Messi, Neymar, Xavi, or Suarez can take penalties; it doesn't matter.
You can take 100 penalties in training, but when you go out on that pitch in front of all those people and the television cameras, it's completely different.
My career record was 5-2 in penalty shootouts.
I do go to football sometimes but I don't know the offside rule or free-kicks - or side kicks - or whatever they're called.
I didn't take many penalties, but I never missed one.
Football is about making mistakes. Who makes the most, loses the game.
Penalties are easy if you score, but in open play, we create chances as well.
Penalty kicks are so much about confidence and your mentality going into them. If you go walk up to a kick and you're not sure where you're gonna place it, or you're feeling a little uneasy, that's when you often miss it.
Being able to put the ball in the back of the net is so important at the highest level and could be the difference between reaching the semi-finals and actually winning the World Cup.
Obviously if somebody scores 17 goals, you're not going to argue with him if he wants to take penalties.
That's the difficulty with free-kicks, as you get one, maybe two, and that's why it's tough. You have to score.
I've saved a few penalties; I'm good at them.
It's always good to have more than one player who can take free-kicks or penalties.
I had a certain system at penalties, I always watched the goalkeeper.
You don't want to be giving away free-kicks in the penalty area.
I didn't take many penalties but I never missed one. You just need to stick to your plan.
I don't practice many penalties! I don't mind taking them but don't really practice saving many.
I have to remind Arsene about his team, which used to win the league, that was the dirtiest team in the league. If you cast your mind back to when they were winning the league, they had more seedings-off and bookings than anyone else.
I always practise penalties, but what people don't understand is that you can never recreate that pressure situation that you're under.
Sometimes journalists say that goalkeepers can do a little more when they play against Messi, but I see it in every training: it does not matter where you place yourself; he's going to shoot to the other side.
I know how Mesut Ozil takes penalties.
