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MARIO BALOTELLI scored just four minutes after his Monza debut, his first goal in 360 days.
The former maverick Manchester City striker put his side 1-0 up with a bunt assisted by Carlos Augusto during their Serie B match at home against Salernitana.
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Italian Balotelli only joined the second division team in early December on a seven-month contract.
The former Manchester City and Liverpool player had been a free agent since leaving Brescia relegated over the summer.
The game is the first in more than nine months when Monza hosts league leaders Salernitana.
And visitors described the goal, the first since he scored for Brescia vs Lazio on January 5, 2020, on their Twitter.
Salernitana wrote: “Monza takes the lead. Balotelli scores with an easy touch.”
Augusto hit a ball with his left foot from the left side and Balotelli was on hand to deflect the ball into the goal at the back post from just three meters.
Balotelli was seen celebrating with former Portsmouth, AC Milan and Barcelona star Kevin-Prince Boateng before Antonino Barilla added a second for the home team at the edge of the break.
Since joining the Italian Minnows, the 30-year-old has thrown nearly a stone in training and agreed to live near his new club.
Balo also accepted a salary of £ 220,000 a year, a fraction of his £ 100,000 a week while at Anfield.
The ‘why always me’ man is best known for his time at City, where he played his best football.
He groomed Sergio Agüero for his iconic title-winning goal against QPR and both men were featured in SunSport’s investigation of where the members of that 2011-12 team are now.
Monza managing director Adriano Galliani previously worked with the Italian forward during his time at AC Milan.
And earlier this month, Galliani said: “Mario has joined us with the best of intentions, and now everything is completely up to him.
“He seems very motivated and there is no question of his ability.
“When he was in Milan in the 2013-14 season, his goals kept us in the Champions League.
“Here in Monza the coach and the rest of the players tell me that whenever he gets into the ball, it is of a different kind.”
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