Balotelli back with a bang

'Changed' AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli has pledged to continue defying crunching tackles on the pitch and taunts from rival fans off it after hitting his first goal for since returning to the club.
"They will take my legs and yellow cards, but they won't get the ball from me," Balotelli said after MIlan's 3-2 win against Udinese last night.
On what was his first start in a league game since April 28 when Liverpool faced Hull City, Balotelli struck a superb fifth-minute free kick.
"He showed that the real Balotelli is back. He was calm and showed he knows how to handle attempts to provoke him," said MIlan boss Sinisa Mihajlovic, who took over from Filippo Inzaghi in the summer.