Dream debut for Super Mario at San Siro

Mario Balotelli, popularly known as ‘Super Mario‘, had a dream debut at San Siro where AC Milan thumped Udinese by 2-1, that saw them climb to the fourth spot, ahead of their cross town rivals, Inter Milan (level on points), with Mario scoring a brace. This is not the only thing that sums up his performance in front of the San Siro crowd, but it was long overdue since his emphatic display at the Euro semis against the Germans.

With an injury to fellow teammate Pazzini, he got a berth in the starting line up. His return to San Siro, after a gap of two and half years, was received by huge cheer from the crowd. Even though his big money signing from the EPL winners might have put people in doubt, it took him only moments to spell his magic. In the first quarter of an hour itself, he put through M’baye Niang, with a beautiful weighted ball, only to see the shot being stopped by the Zebritte keeper Pradelli.

But his moment came in the 25th minute when El Sharaawy ran past the Udinese defence through the left side and set up for Balotelli, who brilliantly volleyed it past Padelli to score on his debut. Soon after, he could have doubled the lead for the hosts through a screamer from 30 yards, but it was the heroics of the Udinese keeper who parried it over the cross bar for a corner.

In the second half also, he continued with his brilliant runs and hold up play and linked up very well with the other two attackers. When the match was seemed to have been settled for a draw, Milan won a penalty in very controversial circumstances, at the dying moments of the game. And who else could have stepped in to take it other than Mario himself. And he lived up to his reputation in terms of penalty taking, by coolly slotting the ball into the net to give Milan a victory.

With a performance like this, he justifies his 22mn€ transfer to his boyhood favourite club, and an attempt to silence his critics, who were after him specially after his past few performances at the Etihad. He unveiled a brilliant combination of flair, pace, power, shooting, hold up play, neat and tidy passing and what else in his first game for Milan giants. Undoubtedly, it was a man of the match performance for Super Mario.