Super Mario proving Man City wrong

 

Ex-Manchester City bad boy Mario Balotelli has gone from strength to strength since leaving the Etihad, writes Christian Crowther...

 

After letting Mario Balotelli go in January, Roberto Mancini and the Manchester City board may now be starting to regret their decision.

 

Since leaving British shores for AC Milan, the striker has simply shone for both club and country, displaying the world-class touch that was so evident during City's title-winning campaign.

 

Balotelli's sublime strike in Italy's 2-2 friendly draw with Brazil on Thursday night took his burgeoning tally to eight in eight appearances for Milan and the Azzurri since leaving England.

 

His latest performance for Italy also drew high praise indeed from manager Cesare Prandelli.

 

Prandelli told reporters: "I know how he really wants to be one of the best in the world but he has to remember how he can get there, and that is through teamwork. That is what he did tonight, like a true champion. He has the potential to be among the best five (players) in the world but to do that he needs a lot of continuity, as he is having at the moment."

 

It really was a big performance in a blue shirt from the City misfit in what was an impressive comeback from the Italians against the next hosts of the World Cup.

 

The Balotelli-inspired Euro 2012 finalists can currently be backed at 25.0 for World Cup glory in 2014.

 

And it's not just his country that Balotelli has been benefiting. Since making his big move to the San Siro, his seven goals from just six Serie A appearances have gone a long way to enabling Milan's rapid ascent up the table.

 

After Balotelli's virtuoso display against Palermo on Sunday, in which he secured the points with a brace, the Rossoneri remain within two points of Napoli in second.

 

Unsurprisingly, Milan are now strongly odds-on to finish in the top-three places - rated at 1.17 currently - when prior to Balotelli's arrival this was looking nowhere near as certain.

 

This rejuvenation in form can only serve to perturb Mancini, who only has Edin Dzeko in double figures in the Premier League scoring charts.

 

And even he is miles off the scorching pace of Luis Suarez, the 1.53 favourite to be top goalscorer, who has notched 22 compared to the Bosnian's 12.

 

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