The 20-year-old made his Manchester City debut last night, coming off the bench to grab the only goal in a 1-0 win against Timisoara in Romania.

Although the fee of £24 million can hardly be described as a bargain, he certainly showed signs that he will be able to live up to his price tag. Next season he could be some people's Premier League betting tips to be top scorer.

Speaking about Balotelli's performance, Mancini said: "He had a great debut. I am happy he scored. He's a good player."

"He needs to improve of course and get to know everybody. It was the first time he had played with the team."
After the win, the latest Europa League prediction suggests City should do very well.

Quite how he gets on in the Premier League remains to be seen, although he did develop a reputation for spectacular outburst towards the end of his spell at Inter.

However, some have put that down as a clash of personalities between him and then manager Jose Mourinho and, given the fact they have worked together well in the past, if anyone can get the best out of the Italian it is Mancini.

Of course, the City manager will have a tough time keeping all his players happy this season and it seems likely that someone will at some point have a sulk about not being picked.

However, if Balotelli can carry on as he started then he will make it very hard for Mancini to leave him out of the side.