Playing a match at home is considered to be an advantage. But how can this influence the outcome of an action in critical situations, like a penalty? There are two aspects of that influence. On the one side the fans will obstruct the concentration of the opponents when they are taking a penalty, but on the other side the pressure is bigger when you HAVE to score in front of your own audience. Which of the above has greater impact then?
The last three seasons in the five major European leagues (i.e. Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, Primera Division and Ligue 1) there were 1,470 penalties awarded. From those 1,122 were converted into goals, a conversion success rate of 76.3%. The chart shows the conversion rates of penalties for Home and Away teams for each of the three seasons, as well as the corresponding rates:
