Coach Sinisa Mihajlovic has backed Mario Balotelli to be a success during his second spell at AC Milan despite failing to lead them to a derby-day win over Inter Milan.

The 25-year-old striker enjoyed a productive 28-minute cameo on his second debut for the Rossoneri after joining on loan from Liverpool, hitting the post late on as Fredy Guarin's 58th-minute strike proved enough for Roberto Mancini's side.

The former Manchester City man, who has often made headlines for the wrong reasons, has a number of conduct-related clauses in his contract, and Mihajlovic hopes that the controversial forward will shine.

"It is still too early to make a judgment but he came on with the right attitude and did well," he told Sky Sport Italia.

"He can give us a big hand in the rest of the season but he knows what he has to do. And everyone did well. For this reason, there's a lot of disappointment because of the result."

Balotelli, who joined Liverpool from Milan last summer, netted just four goals in all competitions for the Reds last term.