Super Mario Puts Skids on the Spurs

Liverpool knew there was a reason they signed Mario Balotelli.

Rumor was, dude scored goals.

He actually potted one at a key moment -- as in the 83rd minute -- to propel the Reds over Tottenham, 3-2, at Anfield.

The 'Pool and Spurs prefer to develop their own, unlike some giants of the game, both these teams rely mainly on their youth roots. So, it was no suprise the Reds shipped ol' itchy-teeth Luis Suárez for dudes with better dental habits.

And ban him they did.

Meanwhile, Tottenham, too, lost one of the most expensives player in the world, Gareth Bale. In a sense, that star power cancelled out.

So, for the players who were on hand, Liverpool's Lazar Marcović got the show on the road in the 15th minute, compliments of a clumsy Spurs defense.

Not many sides roll out a Back One. This might be why.

Tottenham replied, though, as season sensation, Harry Kane, apparently knew where the slippery spots weren't.

Liverpool pushed back into the driver's seat when Mr P Converter -- aka Steven Gerrard -- netted a beautiful penalty after phantom diver Daniel Sturridge was actually brought down.

Not much feels better than the celebration after a Stevie G goal at Anfield.

Tottenham also put their set-piece specialist to the task. It got them where they wanted to go, eventually, with Mousa Dembélé doing the honors:

Spurs looked as if they'd practiced the rebound more than the actual free kick.

But then, it happened. A loud stadium got even louder, and the dark sky turned all red, as Mario Balotelli scored. Yes, Mario Balotelli.

By the time a relieved Reds Nation gets done talking about this seminal event -- and surely with the help of many, many pints and drams -- here's what the replay will look like: