Football: Balotelli Brace Helps Send Nice Top Of Ligue 1

PARIS,(APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News -22nd Sept,2016) - Controversial star Mario Balotelli continued his fine start to life on the French Riviera by helping fire Nice to the top of Ligue 1 on Wednesday.

The Italy international scored his second brace in as many league appearances for Nice in a 4-0 thumping of local rivals Monaco to leap-frog champions Paris Saint-Germain at the top of the table.

The often wayward 26-year-old now has four goals in three games since he joined the Cote d'Azur outfit on a free transfer from Liverpool, where his career had stalled over the last couple of years.

It means in his two league appearances this season, Balotelli has already scored twice as many goals as he did in league matches over the previous two seasons combined -- he scored once in 20 Serie A appearances on loan at AC Milan last season and one in 16 Premier League matches for Liverpool the previous campaign.

Balotelli had also scored a brace on his league debut for Nice in a 3-2 victory over another south coast rival in fallen giants Marseille. Balotelli had already had a low shot saved by Monaco goalkeeper Danijel Subasic when Nice took the lead on 17 minutes as Paul Baysse headed home a Jean Seri free-kick.

The errant Italian then ran onto a pinpoint through ball from Nice's other marquee summer signing on loan from Dynamo Kiev, Morocco international Younes Belhanda, before firing across Subasic into the far corner on the half hour.

It could have been two for Balotelli before half-time but Subasic stuck out a foot to divert away the former Inter Milan and Manchester City striker's left-foot effort from a tight angle. His second came in the 68th minute following a sweeping move down the right between Ricardo Pereira and Wylan Cyprien, before Balotelli provided a crisp finish from the edge of the box.