KRAKOW (Reuters) – Italy playmaker Andrea Pirlo was rightly praised after conjuring an audacious chipped penalty to beat England’s Joe Hart in Sunday’s Euro 2012 quarter-final shootout in Kiev.

His brave gambit appears even more courageous when you consider a clip doing the rounds on YouTube on Monday of him trying the same trick in a friendly v Barcelona in August 2010.

England's Danny Welbeck (L) goes for a header with Italy's Andrea Barzagli (C) as Italy's Andrea Pirlo (R) looks on during their Euro 2012 quarter-final soccer match at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev, June 24, 2012. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

Playing for AC Milan in Barca’s annual Gamper Trophy game, Pirlo strikes the ball cleanly but goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto anticipates the move and instead of diving away stands his ground and simply catches the ball.

Pirlo’s humiliating failure causes a good deal of mirth among the watching players, including Barca’s Carles Puyol and Milan’s Ronaldinho, and Barca went on to win the shootout.

(Writing by Iain Rogers; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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