10 Moments That Define Mario Balotelli's Career

6. Silencing Weidenfeller

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi5YQrQZywM It had not been a fun night at Eastlands for Manchester City. Having surrendered three points at the Bernabeu in their previous Champions League encounter, a demoralised City side were taken to pieces by Jurgen Klopp's efficient counter-attacking Borussia Dortmund. The only reason that City came away from this game without a defeat was due to the excellence of English keeper Joe Hart, and the mental strength of Mario Balotelli. As demonstrated by Dutch goalkeeper Tim Krul in this summer's World Cup, mind games can play a crucial role during penalties. Goalkeepers are becoming more abrasive and intimidating in the direct immediacy of a penalty having been awarded, desperately aiming to psyche out their opponent. With Dortmund having conceded a penalty in the final minute of a game they should really have been winning by a larger margin than 1-0, the 32 year old Roman Weidenfeller immediately marched to the Italian a decade his junior. He needn't have wasted his breath with intimidation antics. Despite his relative inexperience, the former Inter Milan striker was a clinical penalty taker. It was never in doubt that Balotelli was going to stick it in the back of the net, relishing the moment and the accompanying pressure that it brought. With a point rescued, he even had time to bypass the ageing German keeper on his way back from collecting the ball, with a cheeky 'chatty' gesture. The point had been made - try and psyche Balotelli out, and you will lose. And what's more, he will publicly remind you.