Die Macht » Mathis is also expected to be out for the season

PARIS -- Anyone who thinks Mario Balotelli is not committed to his new club Nice should watch a replay of Wednesdays 4-0 home win against Monaco, and listen to the fans chanting his name when he came off late in the second half after scoring twice.The Italian striker has scored four goals in two league games since joining on a free transfer after an unhappy spell in England with Liverpool.La-la-la-la-la-la-la, Su-per Ma-rio the Nice fans at the Allianz Riviera sang over and over when he was taken off 12 minutes from the end.As well as being involved in a physical altercation with Monaco defender Jemerson, squaring up to the Brazilian defender in the first half, he worked hard for his teammates. They have clearly taken to the controversial player once tipped for greatness after breaking into the Inter Milan side as a lightning-quick 17-year-old.He must keep going like this, hell get back to the highest level if he stays professional in every way, Nice coach Lucien Favre said. After many difficult years, the way he recovers (physically) is going to be decisive in getting back to the top. Step by step, we will help him.He was mobbed after both of his goals, the first an excellent solo effort, the second a clinical finish.So much for the Balotelli criticized for being lazy in training by former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers. Liverpools former stalwart defender Jamie Carragher openly mocked his move to Nice, saying on Twitter that even a free transfer was paying over the odds for Balotelli.Yet he has galvanized Nice, which sits top of the league, one point ahead of Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco.Ten days ago, Balotelli scored with a first-half penalty and with a late header in a 3-2 win against Marseille.His first goal was much more special this time.Midfielder Younes Belhanda picked him out in the 30th minute with a raking 40-meter pass across the field to where Balotelli was making a surging run down the right.He controlled it on his thigh, knocked it into his stride with the next touch, surged away from Jemerson. He then drew goalkeeper Danijel Subasic toward him before slotting the ball into the opposite corner.Midway through the second half, he latched onto a pass from defender Ricardo Pereira and calmly steered the ball past Subasic as if shooting in training.Cool finishing, for a player ridiculed for having scored only two league goals in the past two seasons combined.Captain Paul Baysse and forward Alassane Plea scored the other goals.Balotellis career has been punctuated by antics such as letting off fireworks at his home when he played for Manchester City.He still hopes to win his place back for Italy -- more than four years after scoring both in a 2-1 victory over Germany in the 2012 European Championship semifinals.---LYON 5, MONTPELLIER 1Lyon midfielder Corentin Tolisso had an argument with Montpellier goalkeper Geoffrey Jourdren at halftime and smashed a goal past him from 25 meters in the second half.Montpellier led early on through midfielder Morgan Sanson but crumbled after defender Morgan Poaty was red-carded for a lunge on Tolisso.As Tolisso was doing a halftime television interview, Jourdren butted in.Youre injured? he asked sarcastically as Tolisso was speaking. Show me your injury, then.Tolisso walked off toward the players tunnel, with Jourdren talking in his ear.Having scored a first-half header, Tolisso blasted a superb angled shot past Jourdren to put Lyon 4-1 up.Nabil Fekir also scored twice, his first Lyon goals since scoring a hat trick against Caen on Aug. 29 last year.Forward Maxwell Cornet completed the scoring.---RENNES 3, MARSEILLE 2After blowing a 2-1 lead away to Nice 10 days ago, the same happened again to Marseille.Poland forward Kamil Grosicki scored a penalty in the 86th minute for Rennes and midfielder Adrien Hunou netted the winner two minutes later.Striker Bafetimbi Gomis scored both goals for the visitors, taking his tally to four in six games since joining from Swansea.Striker Giovanni So had put Rennes ahead late in the first half.---METZ 0, BORDEAUX 3Bordeaux is up to fourth place thanks to an effective strike trio.Brazilian teenager Malcom, Gaetan Laborde and Swedens Isaac Kiese Thelin all netted.---OTHER ACTIONGuingamp moved up to sixth after forward Jimmy Briands penalty earned a 1-0 win against Lorient in the Brittany derby. Meanwhile, 10-man Saint-Etienne drew 0-0 away to Nantes, with goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier saving a penalty from Nantes striker Emiliano Sala.Mid-table Angers beat Caen 2-1 while Nancy moved out of the relegation zone with a 0-0 draw at Bastia.Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain beat Dijon 3-0 on Tuesday. Todd Helton Jersey . The team says the Spain international has a muscle pull in his right leg. Barcelona hosts third-division side Cartagena in the return leg of their round-of-32 tie after winning their first meeting 4-1. Ryan Castellani Jersey . Galatasaray said in a statement on its website Monday that Mancini signed a three-year contract and will be paid 3.5 million euros for the upcoming season, with his salary upped to 4. https://www.cheaprockiesjerseys.us/1574t-michael-cuddyer-jersey-rockies.html . The 18th player to shoot 60 on the tour, Jamieson settled for par on the final hole when his 15-foot birdie chip grazed the edge of the hole and stayed out. After opening with rounds of 66 and 73 to make the cut by a stroke, he had 11 birdies in the bogey-free round. DJ LeMahieu Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Colorado Rockies Pro Shop . Andreas Johnson had a goal and two assists while Jacob de la Rose also scored for Sweden (2-0-0). Esa Lindell and Rasmus Ristolainen replied for Finland (1-1-0) Lindell opened the scoring for Finland just 41 seconds into the game, but the hosts quickly regained their composure and tied the score less than four minutes later on Wennbergs first of the game. SEATTLE -- Washington middle linebacker Azeem Victor is expected to miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery for a broken lower right leg, coach Chris Petersen announced Monday, the second major injury loss for the Huskies defense in recent weeks.There is no timeline yet for Victors recovery but the expectation is the junior wont be back this season. Petersen was noncommittal when asked if there was any chance Victor could recover in time for a bowl game.Its OK. Its not going to be a real long-term thing, Petersen said. Its a bone and those things will heal quickly. I dont know exactly what the timeline is but its probably as good as it could be in terms of all those things.Victor was injured in the second quarter of No. 7 Washingtons 26-13 loss to Southern California on Saturday. Victor was in on the tackle of USCs Justin Davis on a running play, but immediately came up hobbling. He was on the field for several minutes getting tended to by medical personnel, who put an air cast on Victors leg on the field before he was taken off on a cart.Victor leads Washington with 68 tackles this season. He was regarded as a potential second-day pick in the NFL draft if he left after his junior season.So really when it was all said and done it was probably more positive than we were first thinking, Petersen said. Sometimes when you go into surgery and all that its all this kind of stuff but it was pretty straightforward from what I understand.Its the second major loss for the Huskies on that side of the ball after sack leader Joe Mathis underwent surgery earliier this month for a foot injury.dddddddddddd. Mathis is also expected to be out for the season, although The Seattle Times reported last week that Mathis is hopeful of possibly being able to return for a bowl game.Petersen joked Monday that no team other than Alabama could have the depth on the roster to withstand losing two top defensive players and not have any drop off.I dont know if anyone does that. Maybe Alabama. I dont know, he said. I think every coach in America, for the most part, you get a really good player, you lose them, you might have a really good young player but theyre just not there. I dont know if you ever get there.Redshirt freshman D.J. Beavers is listed as the starter with Victor out. Beavers stepped in after Victors injury on Saturday and finished with six tackles. But he also had some of his inexperience exposed by USC.Linebacker is one area where Washington still lacks experienced depth. Along with Beavers, the other options appear to be freshman Brandon Wellington and sophomore Ben Burr-Kirven.I think he filled in pretty well, Petersen said of Beavers. He made some tackles, played aggressive, played tough. Its hard when you lose a player like Azeem for sure but its not like `We have no chance type thing. He was right there playing physical like a linebacker should. Hes had a lot of good reps throughout the season and now hes going to have a lot more.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '