LIVERPOOL -- Mario Balotelli will come good despite an underwhelming start to his Liverpool career, and has the big-match experience to unsettle Real Madrid, according to Brendan Rodgers.
Balotelli has yet to score a Premier League goal for the Reds following his 16 million pound move from AC Milan, missing some very good chances during Sunday's 3-2 win at bottom club QPR.
The Italy international's only goal for the Reds came in their opening Champions League Group B match, a 2-1 victory over Bulgarian side Ludogorets on Sep. 16. But although some of Balotelli's performances have attracted criticism -- notably a listless display in a 1-0 defeat against Swiss champions Basel on Oct. 1 -- Rodgers feels the striker is on the right lines.
With Daniel Sturridge still absent after breaking down in training with a calf problem, Balotelli is set to lead the Reds' attack against Madrid at Anfield in the Champions League on Wednesday.
And Rodgers said: "Mario's fine. Of course, he was disappointed at the weekend. He's a goalscorer, so he wants to score goals. But the point I highlighted to him was that he was in the positions to miss, so he was arriving in the areas.
"I think it's only a matter of time before he gets his goals. He's a good kid, he's working hard and he's focusing when he gets himself out on to the training field, which is important."
Balotelli has shown the capacity in the past to make a difference in big games, scoring the two goals for Italy against Germany that secured a place at the final of Euro 2012, and grabbing the winner for his country against England in a World Cup group match in Manaus in June.
He also provided the assist for Sergio Aguero to score the injury-time goal in a 3-2 win over QPR that sealed Manchester City's first league title in 44 years in 2012.
The 24-year-old, though, has been inconsistent even in big matches, with Italy coach Cesare Prandelli claiming he regretted taking the striker to the World Cup in Brazil after they went out at the group stage.
Rodgers said of Balotelli: "He's scored goals in big games, so I'm sure he'll go into the game tomorrow night, if selected, looking forward to getting off the mark again.
"As long as he's getting in there and giving himself the possibility of scoring, I've got every confidence that he can score."
Real Madrid will be without Wales midfielder Gareth Bale, who has an injured upper thigh muscle, but Rodgers remains wary of the threat likely to be posed by a side containing world footballer of the year Cristiano Ronaldo.
Rodgers said: "It's still going to be a very difficult game for us. They're a squad full of top-class players. He's a special talent, Cristiano Ronaldo. He's arguably the best player in the world at the moment, and I think his evolution over the last few years has been there to see. His record has been incredible.
"We have to make a plan for our team first to make sure that we cause Real Madrid problems, and then of course you have to prepare yourself for the quality players that they have.
"Gareth Bale is a world-class player with fantastic speed and fantastic talent. When he's not playing, it can be an advantage to us. But Real have a fantastic squad, and can bring in players such as Isco.
"So I don't think it's an advantage if he doesn't play. They've a great squad and will test us."
