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'Ridiculous': Football fans lose it over 'outrageous' Mario Balotelli act

Andrew Reid
·3-min read
Mario Balotelli's eye-catching rabona goal for Turkish club Adana Demirspor included a whopping seven step-overs. Pic: Getty/Twitter
Mario Balotelli's eye-catching rabona goal for Turkish club Adana Demirspor included a whopping seven step-overs. Pic: Getty/Twitter

Mario Balotelli has sent the football world into a frenzy with a moment of outrageous audacity in the top flight of Turkish football.

While Manchester City's incredible title-winning comeback over Aston Villa was the big story on a dramatic final day in the English top flight, Balotelli was creating his own headlines in Turkey.

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The Italian superstar finished the Turkish Super Lig season in stunning fashion with the first five-goal haul in Adana Demirspor's top-flight history.

Ninth in the table heading into the final game, Balotelli's ADS had little to play for against already-relegated Goztepe but they put on an absolute show for fans.

Pictured here, Italy's Mario Balotelli in action for Turkish club Adana Demirspor in the Super Lig.
Italy's Mario Balotelli grabbed the headlines with a five-goal haul for Turkish club Adana Demirspor that included an outrageous rabona finish. Pic: Getty (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Vincenzo Montella's side ran out 7-0 winners, with Balotelli hitting five to finish the season on 18 league goals – behind only Kasimpasa's Umut Bozok (20).

The Italy international's outstanding display represented a club first, while Alex in May 2011 had been the last Super Lig player to net five in a match, for Fenerbahce against Ankaragucu.

This was Balotelli's first hat-trick since scoring three for Manchester City against Aston Villa in December 2010, making him the first foreign player to hit a treble for ADS.

As if those achievements were not enough, Balotelli's fifth goal was an unbelievable effort that many fans have described as the 'goal of the season'.

Mario Balotelli signs off on season in style

The striker had his hapless defender Atakan Cankaya backtracking and tied in knots as he performed not one, or two but seven step-overs to leave his opponent bamboozled.

Balotelli finally made some space on the left to get a shot away, before somehow managing to upstage the theatrics of his seven step-over build-up.

Rather than shooting on his weaker left foot, Balotelli decided to go with the much more difficult right-footed rabona finish across the goalkeeper and into the bottom corner of the net.

"Five goals for me today," Balotelli posted on Instagram.

"There was no better way to finish the championship! Thank you to everyone."

with agencies

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