Mauro Icardi misses “worst penalty ever” as fans compare spot-kick to Arsenal calamity

Mauro Icardi squandered an enormous opportunity in Galatasaray's encounter against Istanbulspor.

Istanbulspor welcomed Galatasaray at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium on Tuesday evening, in a Turkish Super Lig match between two sides who have had contrasting fortunes.

The hosts entered the game winless in four this campaign, having lost twice, while they were languishing in 19th in the table at kick-off, just one point above rock-bottom Samsunspor.

Meanwhile, Galatasaray went into the encounter having claimed four consecutive league wins while salvaging a 2-2 draw with Copenhagen in the Champions League courtesy of two dramatic late goals.

Despite the Turkish giants entering the contest Icardi buoyed by their good form, Argentina striker Icardi went on to squander one of the most simple opportunities imaginable.

Kerem Akturkoglu stepped up to take a spot-kick for Galatasaray, but instead of putting his foot through the ball, the 24-year-old ingeniously laid the ball off for an onrushing Icardi.

The keeper had been floored, sold by Akturkoglu's dummy. All Icardi had to do was tap the ball into an empty net from 12 yards.

Astonishingly however, the former Paris Saint-Germain forward struck the ball wide of the post and out for a goal kick.

Fans on X, the social media platform formally known as Twitter, were quick to react to the miss, with many likening it to Thierry Henry and Robert Pires' famous penalty disaster against Manchester City in 2005.

One person wrote: "WORST PENALTY EVER? Mauro Icardi and Kerem Akturkoglu channel Thierry Henry and Robert Pires at a Galatasaray penalty. They would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for Icardi's meddling inability to roll the ball into a practically empty net."

Meanwhile, another said: "So Mauro Icardi has just missed probably the worst open goal ever…"

A third said: "Kerem & Icardi just stole the Henry-Pires crown."

Thankfully for Icardi, he made up for the error minutes later as Akturkoglu assisted the 30-year-old to score on the stroke of half-time.

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