Balotelli reborn at Nice, Barcelona stumbles in headlines around Europe

Mario Balotelli had a debut to remember with Nice, while Barcelona stumbled at home to a massive underdog and Francesco Totti showed that age is just a number.

Ben Lyttleton | Sep 12, 2016

Balotelli reborn at Nice, Barcelona stumbles in headlines around Europe /

Pep Guardiola and his side won the first big derby of the Premier League season as Manchester City beat Manchester United 2-1 at Old Trafford, kicking off a notable weekend of results around Europe. Outside of England, there was a shock in the Bundesliga, as title contender Borussia Dortmund lost, while in Spain, Barcelona displayed its new depth but was stunningly beaten at home, falling to promoted Alaves.

Meanwhile, two Italian players with very different career paths had matches to remember, as Mario Balotelli and Francesco Totti made headlines in their respective leagues.

Here is what caught our eye around Europe this week, beginning with Super Mario and the start of his return to on-field relevance:

Published Sep 12, 2016

BEN LYTTLETON

A journalist, broadcaster and consultant, Ben Lyttleton also wrote the book on PKs with his “Twelve Yards: The Art and Psychology of the Penalty Kick.”