Mario Balotelli this up with the opening goal against Everton three days later. On 1 October 2011, he scored his third goal in as many matches in a 4–0 win away to Blackburn Rovers. Balotelli scored the opening two goals and forced the dismissal of Jonny Evans as City defeated Manchester United 6–1 at Old Trafford on 23 October in what would prove to be a decisive game in helping win Manchester City the Premier League title. Balotelli made his UEFA Champions League debut for City on 2 November in the second leg against Villarreal. He scored on a penalty shot near
Mario Balotelli goal and was subsequently sent off minutes later in stoppage time after receiving a second, controversial yellow card following an altercation with Lorient's Steven Moreira, where neither player appeared to do anything wrong. Balotelli's red card was rescinded four days later after referee Olivier Thual's admission he had made a mistake in showing Balotelli the second yellow card and the French Football League's Disciplinary Commission decided to annul his second yellow card, thus allowing him to be available for the following league match. On 21 December, he received his first official red card in a Nice shirt in a 0–0