Mario Balotelli made his long-awaited return to Serie A on Monday evening, featuring for the first time in more than three years as Genoa secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Parma, softfootball report.
The former Italy international, who joined Genoa as a free agent last week after leaving Turkish Super Lig club Adana Demirspor at the end of his contract in June, started the game on the bench before making his debut for the Grifone late in the contest.
Balotelli was introduced in the 85th minute, replacing Jeff Ekhator, who had earlier provided the assist for Andrea Pinamonti’s decisive goal in the 80th minute.
The experienced striker made an immediate impact, although not in the way he would have hoped. Less than five minutes after coming on, Balotelli was shown a yellow card for a late challenge shortly after the clock ticked past the 90-minute mark.
The booking continues an eventful run for the former Manchester City and AC Milan forward. His last appearance for Adana Demirspor in the 2023/24 season ended in a red card, meaning his last few minutes of competitive football have produced both a red and a yellow card.
Despite the caution, Balotelli’s return offers Genoa another experienced attacking option as they battle through the Serie A campaign. The 34-year-old will be hoping to quickly rediscover his form and make a positive contribution in the weeks ahead.
Genoa will return to action on Thursday when they welcome Como to the Luigi Ferraris Stadium, with Balotelli expected to push for more playing time following his long-awaited Serie A comeback.
