Mario Balotelli got new Italy coach Roberto Mancini off to a winning start by scoring the opener in a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia in a pre-World Cup friendly in Saint Gallen on Monday. Saudi Arabia face hosts Russia in the opening match of the tournament on June 14 while four-time champions Italy stay home following their failure to qualify for the first time in 60 years.
Made the scapegoat for Italy's first-round exit from the 2014 World Cup, Balotelli's four-year Azzurri hiatus ended when he was recalled by Mancini, appointed six months after Italy's shock failure to qualify for Russia following a playoff defeat to Sweden. It took the 27-year-old Nice striker just 21 minutes to get on the scoreboard with his first goal for Italy since netting the winner against England at the 2014 World Cup.
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