Mario Balotelli scores winning goal on Manchester City debut
Substitute Mario Balotelli scored Manchester City’s winner in their Europa League playoff first leg tie against FC Timişoara – the Italian’s debut for the club.
Balotelli – a £24million signing from Inter Milan – scored the only goal of the game, and a vital away strike for City, just 15 minutes after coming on for Gareth Barry in Romania.
Good work from Emmanuel Adebayor set up the Italian, who finished well into the top corner to provide City with a huge advantage ahead of the second leg at Eastlands next week. However, the forward did leave the field on a stretcher at the end.
It had been a difficult night for the English side, but Balotelli’s 72nd minute strike capped what was – on the whole – a decent night for British teams in Europe.
Ryan Babel scored Liverpool’s only goal as they beat Trabzonspor 1-0 at Anfield – although Joe Cole did miss a penalty – while Barry Bannan scored a potentially vital away goal for Aston Villa in a 1-1 draw at Rapid Vienna.
Celtic beat FC Utrecht 2-0 at Parkhead thanks to Efrain Juarez and Giorgios Samaras, while Motherwell’s Tom Hateley scored what could be a crucial away goal in the final minute of a 2-1 defeat to Odense in Denmark.
Dundee United lost 1-0 at home to AEK Athens, while Welsh side TNS went down to three late goals in a 3-0 loss to CSKA Sofia in Bulgaria.
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