Ballotelli scores in Olympique de Marseille debut despite defeat

Mario Ballotelli came off the bench to score thus announcing his arrival despite Marseille losing the game 2-1

Lille won 2-1 at Marseille in a match delayed for around 40 minutes after a firecracker was thrown on to the pitch.

The visitors, second in the Ligue 1 table, were leading 1-0 through Nicolas Pepe’s penalty in first-half injury time when the object landed on the playing area in the 56th minute.

It exploded just in front of Marseille players Kevin Strootman and Jordan Amavi, who both seemed visibly shaken by the incident.

Referee Amaury Delerue took the players back to the dressing room and they did not emerge again for around 40 minutes.

Until the safety of the players could be established, the game was halted for almost an entire half of action.

When the match resumed, a red card for home forward Florian Thauvin did little to improve the atmosphere inside the Stade Velodrome. Thauvin was sent off after 67 minutes for a foul on Lille left back Youssouf Kone.

Pepe scored his second goal of the game in injury time to seal the win for Lille but there was still time for new signing Mario Balotelli, on as a second-half substitute, to mark his Marseille debut with a goal by heading in a Strootman cross.

Balotelli joined Olympique de Marseille just two days ago on a six months contract hoping to get back on track and his late strike is an indication that he is ready to hit the ground running.

The 28-year-old, who also played for Inter Milan, AC Milan, Manchester City and Liverpool, has yet to score a league goal this season after netting 33 from 51 Ligue 1 games in the two previous seasons.

The “why Always Me” exponent was funny in the press conference that followed after he sealed the deal, when asked what  his ambitions were, he joked: “My ambition is to finish this news conference, go to training and see if I can play on Friday.” and indeed he did not only play but also scored.