"Must Win Puskas Award, class is permanent" - Twitter goes beserk as former Manchester City and Liverpool star Mario Balotelli pulls off insane rabona finish in 5-goal masterclass

Fans went gaga after former Liverpool and Manchester City forward Mario Balotelli scored a fabulous rabona goal in the Turkish Super Lig on Sunday. The Italian forward, playing for Turkish side Adana Demirspor, scored five goals in the 7-0 victory over Goztepe SK.

It was his fifth goal that caught the attention of the footballing world. Balotelli attempted eight step-overs before scoring past the goalkeeper with a cute rabona finish from an acute angle. According to Yahoo Sport, it was Balotelli's first hat-trick since scoring three for Manchester City against Aston Villa in December 2010.

This five-goal haul saw the Italian end the season as the league's second-highest goalscorer with 18 goals. He finished just two behind the eventual top goalscorer Umut Bozok of Kasımpasa.

Fans were in awe of the quality of the finish produced by the Italian. Some have even claimed that his goal should win the FIFA Puskas Award for the best goal scored in 2022.

Here are some tweets in that regard:

The former Manchester City forward's career has not gone according to plan since joining Liverpool in the summer of 2014.

The 31-year-old failed to succeed at Anfield and then on loan at AC Milan before finding some form for Nice between 2016 and 2019. The Italian scored 43 goals in 76 appearances for Nice before moving to Marseille.

Since then, he has played for Brescia and Monza in Serie B before signing for Adana Demirspor last summer. Despite Balotelli's goals, Demirspor only managed a ninth-placed finish in the Turkish Super Lig this season.

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Mario Balotelli played key role in Manchester City's first Premier League title

Mario Balotelli was an integral member of the Manchester City team that won their first Premier League title in 2012 under Roberto Mancini. City needed injury-time goals from Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero on the last day against Queens Park Rangers to beat Manchester United on goal difference.

Balotelli provided the assist for Aguero's iconic winner at the Etihad Stadium. The Argentine's strike is still fondly remembered as the 'Aguero moment'.

Since that triumph, City have won five more Premier League titles, including their most recent one this season. Pep Guardiola's side retained the title after securing another 3-2 win on the final day of the season against Aston Villa on Sunday. City scored thrice in the last 14 minutes to finish a point ahead of Liverpool and win their fourth league title in five years.