Mario Balotelli finally delivered on his promise as he took centre-stage in the biggest match of his young life to send Italy into the Euro 2012 final against Spain on Sunday.
The Azzurri proved once again they have the Indian sign on Germany as a superb double by Balotelli saw them to a 2-1 win - the third time they have beaten Die Mannschaft in a major tournament semi-final.
They are now unbeaten in eight competitive matches against Germany and the enigmatic 21-year-old Balotelli was the major reason for that. What made it extra special was that his adoptive mother was in the stands and whom he embraced at the end.
“My mother was in the stadium and my father was watching it on television,” said Balotelli.
“I scored two goals in front of my mother and I would like to score four in front of my father in Kiev in the final!
“My favourite moment was when I embraced my mum after the match.”
In Italy, Balotelli’s coaches have been saying for years that he has the potential to become one of the best players in the world but until Thursday, he had yet to prove it.
But in two moments of clinical brilliance in the first half, the Manchester City star buried Germany and made a mockery of the pre-match betting odds.
On 20 minutes he showed a striker’s instinct to find a yard of space behind Holger Badstuber to head home Antonio Cassano’s left wing cross from six yards out.
And then nine minutes from the break he gambled and won as Philipp Lahm failed to cut out Riccardo Montolivo’s long ball and the forward was away and running in on Manuel Neuer before smashing the ball into the top corner with unerring confidence.
That showed he is learning and indeed listening to Cesare Prandelli who has been urging him all tournament to try to get behind the defence to stretch the opposition.
And when Prandelli decided to switch to a more defensive five-man midfield 10 minutes into the second period, it was Cassano who was hauled off leaving Balotelli to play the disciplined lone frontman role until cramp ended his night 20 minutes from time.
Last week, Daniele De Rossi had called Balotelli an “ometto”, an Italian word that means someone who is becoming a man and starting to take responsibility.
That he certainly did but he then stripped off his shirt to celebrate his second goal, a move that earned a booking, demonstrating that he is not yet the finished article, either as a player or a man.