JUST GRIN, BABY: Mario Balotelli, smiling during a training session break yesterday, has emerged as a key component for Italy as it faces Spain for the Euro 2012 championship today in Kiev, Ukraine. (AP)
KIEV, Ukraine — Mario Balotelli’s two goals against Germany could well represent the best solo performance of the European Championship. One more goal in today’s final against Spain and he will finish the tournament as its top scorer.
For a 21-year-old forward previously best known for his temperamental behavior, Euro 2012 has also been a personal breakthrough. And that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the rest of Italy’s squad, especially after he scored both goals in the 2-1 win over Germany in Thursday’s semifinal match.
“Mario has done great,” Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon said yesterday. “First of all, he’s a player with an immense base of quality, which is a great starting point. Secondly he’s become part of a group of great champions — and not only in just football terms — and thirdly because he’s found a coach like ours, who has found more ways than one to get the best out of him.
“But most of the merit goes to him, because he wanted it and went after it.”
Balotelli’s improvement has been so rapid, it has been visible from one match to the next.
After opening the tournament with a frustrating night against Spain, then getting benched after another disappointing performance against Croatia, he came on as a substitute and scored a spectacular bicycle kick in the win over Ireland that concluded the group stage.
In the quarterfinals against England, Balotelli played all 120 minutes and then converted the opening penalty of the shootout win with a perfect spot kick.
Still, those performances were nothing compared to the way he dominated the match against Germany, first by muscling past Holger Badstuber to head in a pinpoint cross from Antonio Cassano with the authority of a veteran. He then followed up by blasting in a shot with such sheer power, no spectator could not have been left in awe.
“He’s found an environment where he can measure himself against great champions — champions that have won and who have made big sacrifices to win,” Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said.
“There comes a time when you have to have the courage to accept advice and responsibility. In football terms, we’ve been clear. After the Croatia match, we asked Mario to do certain things, to play as more of a center forward, and he’s doing them with great diligence.”
* Though Xavi Hernandez hasn’t made a major impact at the Euro, Spain’s playmaking midfielder knows he still has today’s final against Italy to change that.
Xavi was named player of the tournament when Spain won Euro 2008, and the midfielder has been regarded as the driving force behind the 2010 World Cup winners’ recent successes.
But Xavi admits he hasn’t had the same impact in Poland and Ukraine, following a long club season in which he was bothered by a nagging calf injury. He was replaced in the semifinal penalty shootout victory over Portugal due to fatigue.
“I would have liked to have had more influence in more games but you can’t, always,” he said.