Why always him? From the penalty spot, the answer with Mario Balotelli was usually that he scored.
For all the drama, the fireworks and the bibs worn backwards, Balotelli was the calmest man in the stadium when he placed the ball on the spot. His run-up was slow. His strike was precise. Goalkeepers were left guessing.
What made Balotelli's penalties so hard to save?
The run-up, mostly. It was slow, and he held the strike back until the last moment, which meant goalkeepers could not read his body language and often committed too early.
The numbers back it up. His conversion rate was over 85%, one of the highest in European football history. At Manchester City he scored important penalties in their 2011-12 season, when they won the Premier League.
Off the pitch he was labelled "crazy". On the penalty spot he was focused and composed.
The great contradiction
This is a player who set his house on fire with fireworks, and yet from 12 yards he hardly ever missed. His technique was genuinely world class: calm, cool and completely unbothered by the occasion or the noise.
So why always him? Because when a penalty was given, he was the one most likely to put it in.
Tomorrow: number 24.
