Milan dramatically snatched a Champions League play-off spot last night after scoring twice in the last 10 minutes to beat relegated Siena 2-1, the first of them a hugely controversial Mario Balotelli penalty.

Seven-times European champions Milan, needing a win to clinch third place, fell behind to a 25th minute goal by Claudio Terzi.

Milan suffered another blow on 68 minutes when Massimo Ambrosini was sent off for a second bookable offence but, two minutes later, Siena were also reduced to 10 men after Christian Terlizzi was dismissed, also for two yellow cards.

Massimiliano Allegri’s team looked unlikely to score until Balotelli went down in the area and Milan were awarded a penalty which he converted in the 84th minute.

Three minutes later, Philippe Mexes scored the winner following a free-kick which Siena were also angry about.

Milan finished third on 72 points, two ahead of Fiorentina who thumped Pescara 5-1.

Vincenzo Montella’s side saw off their relegated hosts with ease thanks to a hat-trick from Adem Ljajic and goals from Stevan Jovetic and Matias Fernandez.

Marco Vittiglio scored a consolation for the hosts, but there was no consoling Fiorentina at the final whistle as they discovered their efforts had been in vain, albeit the Florence side will compete in the Europa League next season.

Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri lost to the club who could well offer him his next challenge in Serie A management as Roma beat the league’s runners-up 2-1 on the last day of the season.

Second-half goals from Marquinho and Mattia Destro enabled Roma to climb above city rivals Lazio, who went down 1-0 at Cagliari, in sixth place on 62 points

Edinson Cavani, the Serie A top scorer with 29 goals, pulled one back for Napoli, who trailed champions Juventus by nine points, six minutes from time.

Much like his manager, the Uruguayan is expected to move on at the end of a campaign which has seen the Azzurri finish second for the first time since 1990.

Udinese made no mistake in tying down the final automatic Europa League place by trouncing Inter 5-2 as the hosts ended a miserable Serie A season at San Siro with a humiliating defeat.

There was no prospect of continental competition for Inter who finished ninth.

Quickfire goals from Giampiero Pinzi and Maurizio Domizzi proved Udinese’s intent with Antonio Di Natale, Gabriel Silva and Luis Muriel later rendering efforts from Juan Jesus and Tommaso Rocchi mere consolations.

The coming days promise to reveal more about Inter boss Andrea Stramaccioni’s future as president Massimo Moratti plots significant renovations before next season.

Serie A

Atalanta 2
Stendardo 7; Giorgi 84;
Chievo 2
Thereau 76, 90;

HT: 1-0. Att: 15,000.

Bologna 0
Genoa 0

Att: 21,000.

Cagliari 1
Dessena 75;
Lazio 0

HT: 0-0. Att: 4,000.

Inter 2
Juan Jesus 12; Rocchi 64;
Udinese 5
Pinzi 1; Domizzi 10; Di Natale 41; Silva 52; Muriel 66;

HT: 1-3. Att: 46,000.

Palermo 1
Miccoli 75;
Parma 3
Gobbi 38; Valdes 41; Belfodil 46;

HT: 1-2. Att: 18,000.

Pescara 1
Vittiglio 77;
Fiorentina 5
Ljajic 16, 24, 59; Fernandez 28; Jovetic 54;

HT: 0-3. Att: 7,640.

Roma 2
Marquinho 47; Destro 58;
Napoli 1
Cavani 84;

HT: 0-0. Att: 41,000.

Siena 1
Terzi 25;
Milan 2
Balotelli 84 pen; Mexes 87;

HT: 1-0. Att: 19,952.
Red cards: Ambrosini (M) 68; Terlizzi (S) 70.

Torino 2
Cerci 53; Bianchi 84;
Catania 2
Almiron 25; Bergessio 62;

HT: 0-1. Att: 15,000.

Final standings

  P W D L F A Pts
Juventus 38 27 6 5 71 24 87
Napoli 38 23 9 6 73 36 78
Milan 38 21 9 8 67 39 72
Fiorentina 38 21 7 10 72 44 70
Udinese 38 18 12 8 59 45 66
Roma 38 18 8 12 71 56 62
Lazio 38 18 7 13 51 42 61
Catania 38 15 11 12 50 46 56
Inter 38 16 6 16 55 57 54
Parma 38 13 10 15 45 46 49
Cagliari 38 12 11 15 43 55 47
Chievo 38 12 9 17 37 52 45
Bologna 38 11 11 16 46 52 44
Sampdoria (-1) 38 11 10 17 43 51 42
Atalanta (-2) 38 11 9 18 39 56 40
Torino (-1) 38 8 16 14 46 55 39
Genoa 38 8 14 16 38 52 38
Palermo 38 6 14 18 34 54 32
Siena (-6) 38 9 9 20 36 57 30
Pescara 38 6 4 28 27 84 22

Top scorers
29 goals: Cavani (Napoli).
23 goals: Di Natale (Udinese).
16 goals: El Shaarawy (Milan), Osvaldo (Roma).
15 goals: Denis (Atalanta), Klose (Lazio), Lamela (Roma), Pazzini (Milan).

Serie B
Crotone 3 - Juve Stabia 3

Prima Divisione ‘A’
Promotion play-offs (SFs, first leg)
May 26: Entella vs Lecce; Sud Tirol vs Carpi.

Relegation play-offs (first leg)
May 26: Tritium vs Portoguaro; Reggiana vs Cuneo.

Prima Divisione ‘B’
Promotion play-offs (SFs, first leg)
May 26: Pisa vs Perugia; Nocerina vs Latina.

Relegation play-offs (first leg)
May 26: Sorrento vs Prato; Barletta vs Andria.

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