Balotelli 72

Twenty-year-old debutant Mario Balotelli repaid a small tranche of his large £24m transfer fee with the winning goal to make big-spending Manchester City firm favourites for a place in the Europa League’s group stages.

Balotelli, the most unpredictable of manager Roberto Mancini’s numerous big summer signings, started the night on the subs’ bench.

But he came off it to great effect, replacing Gareth Barry on 57 minutes and scoring within a quarter of an hour, sweeping the ball home from close range after good work down the flank by Emanuel Adebayor.

Mancini opted to start with Joe Hart in goal ahead of former first-choice Shay Given. And the whole City defence was under early pressure as they started slowly.

They could have conceded two early penalties, for a foul by Pablo Zabaleta and a Vincent Kompany handball.

But they improved steadily as the game wore on and were unlucky not to take the lead a few minutes before the goal when Yaya Toure’s right-foot drive crashed against the post with keeper Costel Pantilimon well beaten.

Toure and Balotelli continued to be prominent and Toure was denied a tie-clinching second goal in the 88^th minute by a fine save from Pantilimon.