Mario Balotelli was at the heart of the drama yet again. In the early hours of this morning, during Round 8 of Ligue 1, Nice defeated Lorient 2-1 at home. Balotelli netted the decisive goal to keep Nice top of the league table—but just five minutes later, he picked up two yellow cards in quick succession and was sent off.

In the 86th minute, Balotelli received a pass from a teammate on the left side of the penalty area. With one deft touch to control and another to set up, he unleashed a curling right-foot strike that flew into the top right corner. It was his sixth goal of the season, and remarkably, he was averaging a goal every 51 minutes—making him the most efficient striker in Europe’s top five leagues at that moment. Fans couldn’t help but ask: is this really the same Balotelli we’ve seen in recent years?

Yet moments later, the old “Super Mario” side reappeared. In his celebration, Balotelli ripped off his shirt in excitement, earning an automatic yellow card. Just five minutes after that, during a contested challenge, he got into a heated exchange with Lorient’s Moreira. Even before their heads touched, the referee rushed over and booked both players. For Balotelli, it was his second yellow of the night, and he had no choice but to head off the pitch early.

Balotelli’s move to Nice at the start of the season was met with skepticism, but he has defied expectations, enjoying a resurgence in France. Whether in Ligue 1 or in European competition, he’s been finding the back of the net, evoking memories of the superstar forward who once lit up stadiums.

For football followers who also keep an eye on Live Cricket BPL updates, Balotelli’s night was a reminder of how sport can turn on a dime—one moment delivering brilliance, the next bringing chaos. Just as in Live Cricket BPL, where a single over can change the entire momentum of a match, Balotelli showed how quickly fortunes shift in football. With his form surging and controversy never far away, his season in Nice promises to be as unpredictable as it is entertaining, giving fans plenty to watch both on the scoreboard and beyond—much like the thrill of tracking a tense Live Cricket BPL finish.