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Marchisio: I'd be crazy to leave Juve now
The Italian midfielder has ruled out leaving the Old Lady and hopes to extend his contract, while he would welcome back Zlatan Ibrahimovic with open arms
Spalletti rules out Serie A return
The former Roma boss has quelled rumours linking him with a return to Italy by outlining his intention to remain in Russia with Zenit
Montella hints at Osvaldo interest
The Fiorentina boss says he admires the Argentine-born Italy international ahead of his side's match against Roma this Saturday
Pirlo: Ibrahimovic is not a divisive factor
The Juventus playmaker has dismissed reports that the Swede could disrupt the harmony in the dressing room and has nothing but praise for his former team-mate
Zapata: Allegri deserves credit for Milan revival
The Colombian defender believes his boss is behind the Rossoneri's resurgence since Christmas and has underlined the importance of finishing third in Serie A
Pirlo: 2014 World Cup my last tournament with Italy
The experienced midfielder has announced that he will retire from international football next year and feels Juventus deserve to win the Serie A title
Inter-bound Botta out for six months
The Nerazzurri have added insult to injury as the midfielder, who is due to join the side in the summer, has suffered a severe setback continuing the club's injury crisis
Muriel aware of Milan & Juve rumours
The Udinese foward, who has been linked with both clubs, has stressed that he is in no rush to leave the Friuli despite speculation over a move
Hamsik wants to stay with 'extraordinary' Napoli
The Slovakian midfielder says 2012-13 has been a special campaign despite Juventus' likely Serie A title triumph this weekend
Zanetti ready to 'do everything' to return
The Inter veteran paid tribute to fans and Roma captain Francesco Totti for their messages of support as he prepares to leave hospital after surgery
Zanetti is special to Inter, insists Stramaccioni
The Nerazzurri coach has insisted that the veteran defender has a special position at the club and has little doubt he will fully recover
Ranocchia saddened by Zanetti loss
The Nerazzurri defender is confident the Argentine will make a return to first team action next term, but admits his absence is a huge blow
'I could have been an Inter legend' - Pirlo
The Juventus midfielder believes he would have become an iconic player for the Nerazzurri had Marcello Lippi not been dismissed as coach in October 2000
Cavani & Mazzarri must stay, says Hamsik
The Slovakian midfielder believes that holding on to two of the key men at the club is vital to their chances of winning Serie A next season
Zanetti's positivity is helping him recover, says Inter coach Cordoba
The former Nerazzurri defender has hailed the attitude of his former team-mate following his recent operation, and says there is no doubt his playing days will continue
Kovacic: Inter slump will not last long
The midfielder joined the club from Dinamo Zagreb in January and is confident they will enjoy a bright future despite a poor recent run of results
Serie A - Bebeto's kid Mattheus has signed for Juventus, says agent
Mattheus Oliveira – the son of 1994 World Cup star Bebeto – will join Juventus, his representative has confirmed.
FootballItalia – 18 hours ago
Brazilian midfielder Mattheus Oliveira - son of former star footballer Bebeto - during the South American U20 Championship (AFP)
“It is all OK,” Vantuil Goncalves is quoted as saying in Lancenet. “The last few details have been agreed upon.
“We just need one document to formalise everything, but the fee and the length of the contract have already been defined.
“As soon as this document arrives then Mattheus will travel to Italy for his medical.”
Mattheus is an 18-year-old attacking midfielder who is expected to cost the Old Lady around €1.5m from Flamengo.
The Brazilian hit the headlines as soon as he was born as his father’s cradle-rocking goal celebrations during the 1994 World Cup were dedicated to his arrival.
Serie A - Cassano returns to training to ease Inter woes
Antonio Cassano has returned to training after four weeks out with a hamstring injury and could ease Internazionale's injury crisis by returning to the bench for his side's trip to Napoli on Sunday.
Reuters – 11 hours ago
Antonio Cassano (Inter)
The controversial forward has scored eight goals in all competitions this season and may start as a substitute for this weekend's clash, given the huge injury list facing Inter manager Andrea Stramaccioni.
His side have 11 players out including strikers Diego Milito, Rodrigo Palacio and 39-year-old club captain Javier Zanetti, who ruptured his left Achilles tendon during their 1-0 loss at Palermo last Sunday.
The Serie A club suffered a further blow when 23-year-old Argentine midfielder Ruben Botta, a prospective transfer target for Inter who currently plays for Tigre, was ruled out for at least six months with a cruciate knee ligament injury.
He sustained the problem during Tigre's match with Olimpia in the last-16 of the Copa Libertadores.
The signing was thought to have been all but wrapped up, but Inter will now have to decide whether to pursue with the deal.
Inter are seventh in Serie A, two points behind fifth-placed AS Roma, who occupy the last Europa League spot and travel to Fiorentina on Saturday.
Napoli defender Hugo Campagnaro is a major doubt for the Partenopei's clash with Inter on Sunday evening.
FootballItalia – 10 hours ago
Campagnaro a major doubt for Napoli
Walter Mazzarri's side go into the match at San Paolo looking to consolidate their second place in the Serie A standings.
But they may have to do so without the 32-year-old defender, who missed Friday's training session with a calf problem.
It would have been an extra-special game for the veteran full-back, who will join the Nerazzurri at the end of the season when his contract expires at Napoli.
Juventus have clinched their 29th Scudetto after recording a comfortable 1-0 home win over Palermo on Sunday.
The champions never looked like losing against the Sicilian club as they controlled the match throughout, taking the lead with an Arturo Vidal penalty, but Paul Pogba departed to leave a sour taste in the last 10 minutes, as he was dismissed for spitting at an opponent..
Antonio Conte named the same team for the third consecutive match as Pogba retained his place in the midfield, but Palermo boss Giuseppe Sannino was forced into one change from his side's win over Inter the week before, as Nelson came in at right-back for the suspended Michel Morganella.
The visitors had to hang on in a tough opening 20 minutes as continuous shots and crosses bombarded their goal and penalty area, but Stefano Sorrentino remained vigilant in goal.
Palermo looked determined at the back, but they were offering very little in attack, and Nelson’s hopeless pass forward for Fabrizio Miccoli to run on to summed up their first-half performance as Giorgio Chiellini intercepted with ease.
Mirko Vucinic looked destined to open the scoring just prior to the half-hour mark as he latched on to an inch-perfect through-ball from Stefan Lichtsteiner, but after evading Salvatore Aronica he could only hit his shot straight at the on-rushing Sorrentino.
From the resulting corner the Montenegrin headed wide of the far post, but Juventus were struggling to create clear-cut chances, while Palermo grew in confidence.
Juventus began the second-half in frantic fashion as they surged forward, but aside from an Andrea Pirlo free-kick which was dealt with easily, their attempts to create chances were not effective and the visitors nearly took the lead.
After running on to a through-ball behind Leonardo Bonucci, the bullish Miccoli lacked support, therefore he decided to go for goal himself and his gamble almost paid off as his effort flew past Buffon before coming back off the post.
Juventus soon capitalised on Miccoli’s miss as Massimo Donati barged Vucinic to the ground in the penalty area, and Vidal confidently buried his effort from 12 yards to start the title party.
Things could have got even worse for Palermo just a couple of minutes later as first Vucinic opted to square a pass across the goal rather than shoot, before Chiellini headed just wide from six yards out.
Despite their dominance, the hosts switched off just before the 80th minute and after good work from Nelson, substitute Abel Hernandez bent a powerful strike just wide of Buffon’s right-hand post from outside the area.
The win looked in doubt for the final six minutes as all of Pogba’s previous good work was undone as he reacted to overly-aggressive play from Aronica by spitting at the Italian defender, and the former Manchester United man was subsequently shown a red card, but Conte’s team held on to the win which secured their 29th league title.
Mario Balotelli's late goal cemented AC Milan's hold on third place in Serie A as they beat Torino 1-0 at San Siro on Sunday.
Fiorentina went down to Roma at the hands of a late Osvaldo header on Saturday, which gave Massimiliano Allegri's side a great chance to move closer to sealing the last UEFA Champions League spot.
The visitors had the best opportunities of the match through Udinese loanee Paulo Barreto, but Milan snatched victory six minutes from time.
Milan were without Ricardo Montolivo after the midfielder picked up a hamstring injury in training, while Giampaolo Pazzini missed out on a starting berth despite grabbing a brace against Catania last Sunday.
Giuseppe Vives and Matteo Darmian returned for Torino after serving suspensions and coach Giampiero Ventura opted to rest strikers Rolando Bianchi and Riccardo Meggiorini.
The visitors had a great early chance after Alessio Cerci was given a free run at goal, but the midfielder’s curled effort was too close to goalkeeper Christian Abbiati.
Jean-Francois Gillet could only parry a shot from Sulley Muntari as Milan responded, but the Belgian keeper redeemed himself by keeping out Mario Balotelli with a fine double save.
Paulo Barreto should have put the visitors ahead in the 15th minute when he raced clean through on goal, but the Brazilian striker hesitated and ended up hitting his shot straight at Abbiati.
Napoli have secured UEFA Champions League football for next season after Edinson Cavani inspired them to a 3-1 win over Inter on Sunday.
The Uruguayan star had Stadio San Paolo rocking after just three minutes before a Ricky Alvarez spot-kick levelled the score, but Cavani hammered home a penalty of his own before completing a hat-trick in the second-half to confirm at least a third-place finish for Napoli.
Both managers made three changes to their teams as Edinson Cavani, Valon Behrami and Alessandro Gamberini returned for the hosts, while Christian Chivu, Fredy Guarin and Marco Benassi came in for injury-ravaged Inter.
After Juventus clinched the title on Sunday, Napoli only had second place to fight for and they did not look short of motivation as Goran Pandev played a delightful through-ball between Andrea Ranocchia and Chivu for Cavani who smashed a shot past Samir Handanovic for a third-minute lead.
Referee Antonio Giannoccaro offered Inter a way back into the match in the 23rd minute as he awarded the visitors a penalty after Alvarez went down under pressure from Camilo Zuniga, and the Argentine found the net from 12 yards, despite Morgan De Sanctis’ best efforts low to his left.
However, just under 10 minutes later Jonathan collided with Zuniga off the ball inside the area and the referee pointed to the penalty spot for the second time, allowing Cavani to step up and dispatch the kick for his 100th goal for Napoli.
Blerim Dzemaili, Marek Hamsik and Cavani all had good chances before the end of the first half, but Handanovic kept the score to a minimum as Napoli went into half-time with a deserved 2-1 lead.
The second half started in a similar fashion to how the first finished as Napoli pressed forward in search of a third goal, but neither Hamsik or Pandev could capitalise on good chances before Ranocchia missed two efforts of his own at the other end.
Inter looked to get back into the game and had chances, but a worried Ranocchia thought he had given away a spot-kick as he blatantly pushed over Cavani inside the penalty area, but luckily for the Italian he escaped any sanction as the referee brought play back for a previous foul by Guarin.
Just past the hour mark, Cavani almost scored a third after Pandev whipped a low cross into the six-yard box and the Uruguayan ran across Juan to flick the ball towards the goal, but he could only direct the ball wide.
However, Cavani did have his hat-trick by the 78th minute as he picked out Pandev to his left before continuing his run and knocking in the Macedonian’s cross at the far post.
Cavani had been everywhere throughout the match as he even helped with defensive work, but he was clearly intent on scoring as many goals as possible and he flashed another shot wide of Handanovic’s left post in the final 10 minutes, while Inter failed to produce a fight back, ensuring Napoli a place in the Champions League next season.
Stramaccioni: Inter must always aim to win The young coach has urged his men to give a fully-committed performance against Lazio on Wednesday in order to end the season on a high note
Balotelli faces fine for celebration AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani has confirmed the club will punish the Italian for removing his shirt after scoring the winning goal against Torino on Sunday
Mourinho wants what is best for the team, insists Zanetti The Argentine has defended his former coach from recent criticism, insisting he does what is necessary to achieve success
Nedved hails Juventus winning mentality The former Czech Republic international believes the current squad's exploits are hugely commendable and has set his sights firmly on helping the side progress even further
Arsenal in advanced talks to land Jovetic as they target two marquee striker signings The Gunners are negotiating with Fiorentina to secure the 23-year-old and are also eyeing up another stellar forward, with Robert Lewandowski and Edin Dzeko on their wanted list
Juventus have won 31 titles, says Lippi The former Bianconeri boss still counts their 2005 and 2006 successes among their tally of honours
Muntari: AC Milan will launch Scudetto challenge next season The midfielder is convinced his side will continue to build on a strong second half to this campaign, highlighting Mario Balotelli and M'Baye Niang as key players
Totti: Coppa Italia is Roma's Champions League final The Giallorossi legend has stressed the side's focus as they bid to end the season with silverware
Diego Milito hoping for Mourinho & Leonardo returns The Argentine would like to see the two former Inter bosses make a comeback to San Siro and admitted that he may be forced to leave the club
Buffon: Conte is the best coach I've worked with The Juventus captain has praised his boss for bringing a winning mentality to Turin after the club had suffered a couple of years in the wilderness
Cavani is an alien, says agent The Uruguay star's representative has praised his client after his performance in the Partenopei's 3-1 victory over Inter on Sunday
Scudetto a huge weight off Juve's shoulders, says Buffon The experienced goalkeeper is over the moon with his side's Serie A success and believes they always performed at the important moments
Seedorf dismisses rumours of AC Milan return The Dutchman, who clinched the Rio state championship with Botafogo on Sunday, will not be heading back to San Siro as head coach in the near future
Ranocchia: Inter must do better next season The defender has admitted that the Nerazzurri must improve quickly if they are to catch up with champions Juventus and downplayed the performance of Edinson Cavani
If Juventus play their cards right, they can now build a Serie A dynasty With a second successive Scudetto now under their belts, Antonio Conte's side could dominate the Italian league for the foreseeable future
Bonucci: Juventus have dominated Serie A The Italy international was delighted with his side's domestic success and believes they were the outstanding team in Serie A this season
Napoli deserved to beat us, admits Stramaccioni The 37-year-old coach accepted that his side were deservedly beaten by the Partenopei and says investigations are underway in a bid to solve the club's injury crisis
Klose plays down record-breaking five-goal haul The veteran forward made history with the Biancocelesti but believes his team-mates are equally deserving of praise
Conte: I'll never stop thanking my team The 43-year-old coach heaped praise on his side for winning consecutive league titles and has cited the defeat to Inter earlier in the campaign as the worst moment of the season
Balotelli desperate for Allegri stay The 22-year-old has lent his support to his coach amid rumours linking him with a move to Roma
'I'm realising a dream by coaching Juventus' - Conte The Bianconeri boss insists there is no reason for him to leave following their latest Scudetto triumph and is planning to hold talks over his future
Lippi: Juventus have no rivals in Italy The 65-year-old says the Old Lady were runaway champions this season, while Gianluigi Buffon believes "failure was not an option" for the club
Zanetti key to my Inter stay, claims Stramaccioni The Italian has paid tribute to his captain and assistant coach Ivan Cordoba for their support during a difficult season for the Nerazzurri
'Lippi did not believe Juventus had won the title' Former Juventus stars Alessio Tacchinardi and Gianluca Zambrotta reflect on the memorable Serie A success on May 5 2002, as Antonio Conte's current charges prepare for glory
Montella: Fiorentina still in CL race The Fiorentina coach was left dumbfounded by his side's defeat to Roma on Saturday but insists the battle with AC Milan for third place is not over yet
Conte to 'confront' Juventus in the summer The Italian has delayed talks over prolonging his stay in charge until the end of the campaign
Hegazy: Fiorentina eager for Champions League berth The 22-year-old is desperate to return to action swiftly to help his side break into Serie A's top three, while insisting he has never been the subject of racist abuse in Italy
Totti rules out future PSG move The Italian forward has stressed that joining another Serie A team or les Parisiens are not options, but he would be open to a move to the MLS
Milan deny Allegri is set to join Roma The Rossoneri have stressed that there is no truth in reports linking their coach with a summer exit, while Inter have made it clear that they did not approach the trainer either
Vidal has grown a lot since joining Juventus, says Conte The Bianconeri coach is impressed with the midfielder's progress in the past two seasons and is delighted with his side's performances this term
Eighth-placed Inter will hope to leapfrog their seventh-placed opponents Lazio when the sides meet at San Siro on Wednesday.
Just two points separate the teams in the Serie A standings and both remain in the hunt for UEFA Europa League qualification by virtue of their league finish.
However, they also have poor recent form in common ahead of their showdown, with Inter having lost five of their last six and Lazio's 6-0 win over Bologna last time out coming off the back of a six-game winless run.
Andrea Stramaccioni's side also have a lengthy injury list to contend with after Javier Zanetti became the 13th player currently sidelined by rupturing his Achilles tendon.
A 3-1 defeat to Napoli in their last outing did little to lift the mood around the club, but led Fredy Guarin to insist his team-mates must pull together.
"We all need to give a bit more at the moment. Today we all displayed heart and determination, we needed to finish this game in the best way possible," he said.
"Now we must try to do even better in our coming matches. We need to stay strong mentally and show our supporters and president how much we love this shirt."
Inter suffered a 1-0 defeat to Lazio when the sides faced off in Rome earlier this season, with Miroslav Klose grabbing the winner for the hosts.
The German is likely to be his side's biggest threat in this game again, as he looks to add to his tally of 15 league goals so far this season - five of which came against Bologna on Sunday.
Rodrigo Palacio leads the way for Inter in Serie A having notched 12 times, and the Argentine could return from injury in order to feature in this fixture.
Lazio have not beaten Inter at San Siro since a 5-3 victory during the 1998-99 campaign.
Serie A Preview: Battle for European spots heats up
6 May 2013
Juventus' Serie A title celebrations will continue at Atalanta on Wednesday – their first outing since securing their second straight Scudetto.
Antonio Conte's men made it back-to-back league trophies in the Italian top flight for the first time since 2003 when they beat Palermo 1-0 at home on Sunday.
With the title decided, attentions turn to the relevant objectives remaining for certain teams in the final three matches – such as European places for next season, and relegation.
Second-placed Napoli have all but sealed their group stage spot in the UEFA Champions League for 2013-14, but can officially confirm it if they beat Bologna away – or simply if AC Milan fail to win at Pescara.
It would be some choke if Napoli did not finish second – their seven-point gap on Milan should see them into Europe's top tier once more.
A Milan win and a Napoli slip-up would see the door left ever so slightly ajar heading into the final two games, especially given the San Siro side should be untroubled against the already relegated Pescara.
Milan are only four points above fourth-placed Fiorentina, who could still sneak into that UEFA Champions League qualifying spot.
Fiorentina are on the road at Siena on Wednesday – with the latter needing a win in the Florence derby to boost their hopes of survival.
The winner of Torino and Genoa would all but sew up their top-flight ticket for next season, with the clubs sitting precariously above the drop zone in 16th and 17th respectively.
Palermo are 18th – three points behind Genoa – and host a red-hot Udinese, desperately needing points to help their sorry predicament.
Udinese are flying – they have won five straight in the league, keeping clean sheets in three of those, and could heap more misery on Palermo's situation.
They are also hoping to sneak into fifth spot, as they trail Roma by one point in the battle for UEFA Europa League action next term.
Sampdoria sit in 15th spot and have not won in eight matches, but they are all but safe ahead of their hosting of mid-table Catania.
Lazio are a further two points behind Udinese, thus remaining an outside chance of a European berth, and are away to Inter Milan.
Inter have dropped right off the pace in the hunt for Europe, losing four of their past five league encounters to be all but out of contention for continental honours.
Roma host Chievo needing a win to consolidate fifth spot, while in the only match of no consequence to either end of the table, Cagliari will welcome Parma.
Milan can strengthen their grip on the final UEFA Champions League qualifying spot when they travel to relegated Pescara on Wednesday.
Massimiliano Allegri's men sit third following their 1-0 win over Torino and are four points clear of fourth-placed Fiorentina, who fell to a 1-0 defeat against Roma in their last outing.
Mario Balotelli was the hero for Milan as he netted a late winner in Sunday's victory, and the onus will likely be placed on him and top-scorer Stephen El Shaarawy, who has 16 league goals this term, to deliver against a side that has conceded a mammoth 74 times in a disastrous campaign.
El Shaarawy was on the scoresheet in the reverse fixture as Milan eased to a 4-1 win at San Siro, midfielder Antonio Nocerino also finding the net in addition to two own goals from Cristian Bucchi's men.
Allegri will hope his side can again secure victory without a number of first-team players, with Ricardo Montilivo, Bojan Krkic, Massimo Ambrosini and Nigel de Jong all still unavailable through injury.
Per Kroldrup could yet return for Pescara, but the game will likely come to soon for on-loan midfielder Juan Quintero, who has been linked with a move to Manchester United.
Bucchi has a lengthy injury list to contend with, goalkeeper Ivan Pelizzoli and midfielders Francesco Modesto and Gaetano D'Agostino are all expected to miss the rest of the season as are winger Vladimir Weiss and young striker Gianluca Caprari.
The basement club have little to play for going into this one and look to be already preparing for life in Serie B next season.
Most of Bucchi's side's wins have come at the Adriatico but they still possess the worst home record in the division with only four victories in front of their own fans.
With no win since their shock 2-0 win at Fiorentina in January confidence is likely to be low in the home camp and with Milan having only lost four times away from San Siro this campaign, another defeat appears inevitable.
There can be no certainties in football, but with another crack at the UEFA Champions League on the horizon, Milan will need no further motivation to compound Pescara's misery.
Conte: Signing Suarez, Higuain or Ibrahimovic not enough to win the Champions League
By Stefan Coerts
May 7, 2013 9:28:00 AM
The successful coach feels signing a top striker is not the way to close the gap with Europe's elite and is looking to emulate Bayern Munich instead
Antonio Conte believes signing a high-profile attacker such as Gonzalo Higuain, Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Luis Suarez will not be enough for Juventus to challenge for the Champions League title.
The Serie A champions were eliminated by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of European club football's elite competition this season and some have blamed the lack of a top striker for their exit.
Conte, however, feels Juve should look at other options to close the gap with the continent's best sides and feels the Turin giants should be looking to follow Bayern's model.
"I can only laugh when I hear people say that Juventus can win the Champions League with two or three good signings. The reality is different. There's a big gap with the top," Conte was quoted as saying by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Ibrahimovic, Suarez or Higuain? You cannot say no to players like that for the fans, so if it was up to me, I would take all three of them. Even that would not be enough to win the Champions League, though.
"We have to follow the model of Bayern Munich. These are the kind of things I discuss with the president and [general director] Giuseppe Marotta. We have to improve in all areas.
"I heard [Arjen] Robben say the other day that Bayern's win was a team effort. He understands how it works. He's a natural talent, just like [Franck] Ribery. Yet they both do their utmost for the team. A good organisation brings out the best of individual players.
"Either way, we have to show respect to the club and the players we have right now."
Juventus were crowned Italian champions at the weekend for the second consecutive season following their 1-0 win over Palermo.
Roma's hopes of European football next term took a blow when they suffered a 1-0 home defeat to Chievo on Tuesday.
Cyril Thereau struck in the 90th minute to ensure three points for Chievo, who climbed to 12th place in Serie A with the win, while Roma are clinging on to fifth place and the final Europa League spot - one point ahead of Udinese, who have a game in hand.
Chievo offered precious little in the attacking half for much of the match, and relied on their defence to keep out Roma in an uninspiring affair.
Francesco Totti hit the bar for the hosts early in the second half, while Chievo goalkeeper Christian Puggioni had to be good to keep out a header from Mattia Destro.
But just as it looked like both sides would have to settle for a share of the spoils, Thereau made a quick run into the box ahead of Leandro Castan, and volleyed Boukary Drame's cross home from close range.
Should their league place not be good enough to secure a Europa League spot, Roma can still clinch one by winning the Coppa Italia final against cross-town rivals Lazio on May 26.
Mario Balotelli netted two goals as Milan eased to a comfortable 4-0 victory against relegated Pescara on Wednesday.
The Italian striker grabbed the winning goal against Torino last time out and scored another important effort to put Milan ahead from the penalty spot in the 10th minute.
Pescara's relegation to Serie B was confirmed last Sunday with a 4-1 defeat to Genoa and the visitors were ruthless as Sulley Muntari and Mathieu Flamini added to Balotelli's double to tighten Milan's grip on third place.
Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri was without Kevin Prince-Boateng due to suspension and the injured Riccardo Montolivo and Bojan Krkic.
Meanwhile, Christian Bucchi had a lengthy injury list to contend with and a number of key players are out for the rest of the season, including goalkeeper Ivan Pelizzoli and forward Gianluca Capriari.
Balotelli should have put Milan ahead inside of five minutes, but the Italy international volleyed against the crossbar from six yards out when a simple tap-in would have been enough.
Balotelli was given the opportunity to redeem himself minutes later though when Uros Cosic brought down Antonio Nocerino inside the Pescara box.
The 22-year-old sent goalkeeper Mattia Perin the wrong way with one of his trademark spot-kicks to claim his 10th league goal of the season.
The visitors continued to pile on the pressure during the opening exchanges and Robinho and M'Baye Niang both threatened going forward, with the latter dragging a good chance wide of the post.
Milan dominated possession and faced little pressure from the hosts, who did not threaten Christian Abbiati's goal until the 25th minute when Giuseppe Sculli headed on target.
Allegri's side pressed home their dominance with a second goal in the 33rd minute courtesy of Muntari.
The Ghana international drifted into the box completely unmarked to meet Robinho's pinpoint free-kick from the right with a thumping first-time volley.
Milan continued to control proceedings after the restart and Flamini gave his side a comfortable three-goal lead in the 50th minute.
Robinho took hold of possession on the left wing and picked out the former Arsenal man with a pinpoint pass for him to score his fourth goal in five outings.
Flamini then turned provider as he found Balotelli in front of goal and the ex-Manchester City striker turned two defenders before firing into the roof of the net.
With the points secured, Allegri brought on Bakaye Traore and Giampaolo Pazzini to keep his players fresh ahead of Sunday's meeting with Roma at San Siro.
The latter should have added his name to the score-sheet 20 minutes from time, following a clever chipped cross from Balotelli, but Pazzini shot too close to Perin from a tight angle.
Stephan El Shaarawy was a surprise inclusion on the bench and was keen to add to his 16 league goals after replacing Robinho in the closing stages.
However, Milan eased off in the final 15 minutes and saw out the game to claim another vital win in the race for UEFA Champions League qualification, which they will secure with three points from their final two fixtures.
Juventus won their ninth Serie A match in a row after edging Atalanta 1-0 in Bergamo on Wednesday.
Alessandro Matri scored the only goal of the game in the 18th minute for Juve, who have now won their last six matches at Atalanta.
The match was marred by first-half crowd trouble, with proceedings suspended for 10 minutes after fans were throwing flares at each other.
Juventus manager Antonio Conte and Atalanta striker German Denis were just two of the figures who tried to calm the tension at Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia and play did resume, although the scoreline remained the same despite the best efforts of both sides.
Juventus – who wrapped up the Serie A title with a 1-0 win over Palermo last week – needed to win their final three matches of the season to surpass the record points total of 91, set by themselves in 2006.
That did not stop Conte making nine changes to his side though, as the likes of Claudio Marchisio, Arturo Vidal and Mirko Vucinic had to settle for a place on the bench.
Juve still had a strong side to choose from despite their extensive rotation, while Atalanta boss Stefano Colantuono made four changes in a bid to end his club's four-match winless streak.
The visitors started brightly and could have taken the lead after three minutes, only for Emanuele Giaccherini to shoot straight at goalkeeper Andrea Consigli after a terrific first touch.
Cristian Raimondi limped off after just seven minutes for Atalanta, who saw Denis go close, while Fabio Quagliarella also squandered early chances at the other end.
Juventus took the lead in the 18th minute though, as a sublime Andrea Pirlo ball set Matri free.
The striker brought the ball down well and beat the onrushing Consigli with a hooked left-foot finish that flew into the back of the net.
Denis flashed a header inches wide in the aftermath for Atalanta, while Paolo De Ceglie should have done better for the visitors just after.
Coincidentally during the crowd trouble, the officials saw their electronic communication system fail, but when play resumed Chilean Carlos Carmona almost scored with a great 25-yard effort for Atalanta.
The hosts kept up the pressure, with Denis going even closer when he side-footed a volley into the post seven minutes before the break.
Mauricio Isla had a shot deflected wide just after the break but Juve were far from dominant as their opponents remained a threat.
They continued to whip crosses into the box and more often than not they were causing problems, with Davide Biondini going close to heading an equaliser just before the hour-mark.
A great one-two between Matri and Isla saw the former inches away from doubling Juventus' lead, while substitute Vidal shot straight at the legs of Consigli on a fast break with 10 minutes remaining.
Giaccherini also wasted a chance on the counter-attack, smashing an effort into the side netting in the final minute of normal time, but in the end it mattered little as Juventus celebrated yet another win this season.
Conte's side will play Cagliari and Sampdoria to end the season, knowing wins in both will see them claim the record points total in Serie A history.
Inter Milan's hopes of a top-six finish were dealt a huge blow on Wednesday as Lazio claimed a 3-1 victory at San Siro.
Andrea Stramaccioni's side had lost four of their previous five games heading into the match and desperately needed three points to keep their UEFA Europa League chances alive.
However, Inter fell behind to an own-goal and despite Ricky Alvarez's equaliser, the hosts failed to take their chances, with Hernanes converting a penalty and Ogenyi Onazi scored a spectacular goal as Lazio came out on top.
Stramaccioni has had to deal with a lengthy injury list in recent weeks but welcomed Tommaso Rocchi and Esteban Cambiasso back into his starting line-up.
Vladimir Petkovic named an unchanged side following Sunday's 6-0 win against Bologna, in which striker Miroslav Klose netted five.
Inter midfielder Alvarez was first to try his luck with a powerful strike from 20 yards, which Federico Marchetti parried away well.
The Lazio goalkeeper collided with team-mate Andre Dias as he attempted to clear a lofted pass minutes later and both players required treatment.
There was no sign of a serious injury to Marchetti though as he pulled off a fantastic save to keep out a fierce strike from Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic.
Lazio took the lead in unusual fashion in the 21st minute after goalkeeper Samir Handanovic failed to clear Ledesma's cross from the right with his fist and the ball bounced over the line.
Antonio Candreva should have doubled the visitors' advantage moments later but the winger dragged his shot narrowly wide of the post while one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Ranocchia stopped a certain Lazio goal by throwing himself in front of an effort from Sergio Floccari, after Handanovic had denied Klose, before the hosts went down the other end of the pitch and equalised through Alvarez.
The Argentine rose highest to meet Alvaro Pereira's fine cross from the left and his thumping header left Marchetti with no chance.
The goalkeeper did make a great diving save to deny Cambiasso though as the hosts piled on the pressure in search of an immediate second.
Inter should have doubled their lead shortly before half-time but Alvarez somehow blazed an effort over the bar from eight yards out before Lazio made a last-ditch clearance.
The hosts were punished for not taking their chances as Floccari won Lazio a penalty in first-half injury time, following a foul by Ranoccia.
Brazilian midfielder Hernanes curled the spot-kick high into the top corner to restore Lazio's lead.
Inter were unlucky to trail at the break and could have hit back shortly into the second half as Fredy Guarin had two great opportunities.
The Colombian fired wide with a curling 25-yard effort before missing from 12 yards out after some great work and a cross from Alvarez on the right wing.
Inter had penalty appeals waved away after Rocchi's cross seemed to hit the arm of Stefan Radu, but the referee pointed to the spot seconds later when Cana brought down Guarin.
However, Alvarez slipped as he stepped up to take the spot-kick and fired high over the crossbar.
At the other end, Hernanes stung the gloves of Handanovic with a powerful strike before Juan Jesus picked up a yellow card for hauling down Klose when through on goal.
Lazio secured the three points in the 77th minute when substitute Onazi fired a spectacular 30-yard effort into the top-right corner of the net.
Marchetti made two great saves during the closing stages to deny Rocchi and Inter succumbed to yet another defeat, which has put the all-important fifth place out of their reach.
El Shaarawy kept Milan alive, says Galliani The Rossoneri chief has hailed the Italy international and says the San Siro side will be looking to add some fresh blood to their defence this summer
AC Milan looking to hijack Juventus' Poli move The former Inter midfielder appeared to be destined to continue his career in Turin, but the Rossoneri could now make a move for the 23-year-old
Jovetic flattered by Juventus interest The Montenegrin is pleased to have caught the attention of the Italian champions but Arsenal remain in pole position to sign the attacker
Buffon: Juventus were under much more pressure this season The goalkeeper said winning a second Scudetto in a row was a great accomplishment but that it felt very different to last year's success
Antonini praises 'positive' Balotelli impact The Italy international has been impressed with the forward's displays at San Siro since his January arrival
Montella reveals desire to coach Napoli The Viola boss praised Partenopei legend Diego Maradona as well as elaborating on why he thinks his side have seen success this season
Robinho predicts massive Balotelli impact next season The Brazilian is delighted the club beat Pescara confidently and hopes they can secure Champions League qualification on Sunday against Roma
Allegri wants to finish with a flurry AC Milan's 4-0 win over Pescara maintained their grip on third in Serie A and the head coach praised the win as a "fundamental step" towards Champions League qualification
Inter must make Champions League return - Juan Jesus The Nerazzurri have endured an end to the season to forget as their 3-1 defeat to Lazio on Wednesday consigned them to life without European football next year
Galliani hails 'extraordinary' AC Milan resurgence The Rossoneri CEO has urged his side to focus on securing third place after a blistering run of results in 2013
Matri: I want to stay at Juventus The former Cagliari forward is determined to prolong his career with the Serie A champions and believes their current crop of attackers deserves more respect
Moratti: Inter will strengthen this summer The Nerazzurri boss is keen to add some fresh blood to the squad ahead of next season and admits it is hard to judge Andrea Stramaccioni's performance as coach
Stramaccioni's injury blame game must stop if Inter are to learn from disastrous season The coach has rightly received some sympathy for his club's troubles this term, but there are issues that have contributed to their downfall which he can do something about
Boateng keen on summer exit from AC Milan The Ghanaian has been dismayed by the lack of a defined role under Massimiliano Allegri this season, and the Rossoneri are ready to listen to offers for the midfielder
Stramaccioni: Alvarez spot-kick sums up our season Inter paid the penalty as ill-fortune once again fell on the Nerazzurri's campaign when the Argentine had the opportunity from 12 yards but slipped at the crucial moment
Galliani: Puyol is too old for Milan The Rossoneri vice-president has denied rumours that the 35-year-old could be on his way to San Siro, citing his side's preference for younger players
Fergie modelled United on my Juventus team - Lippi Following confirmation on Wednesday that the Manchester United manager was to step down, the former Bianconeri boss reveals the great rapport they share
Stramaccioni: I never doubted Alvarez The attacking midfielder has been one of the Nerazzurri's star performers in the second half of the season after a difficult start to his San Siro career
Puyol dismisses AC Milan links The defender has denied reports that he is set to leave Barcelona for the Serie A powerhouse in the summer transfer window
Bebeto's son could snub Juventus for Real Madrid The promising youngster appeared to be on his way to Turin come December 2013 but his father has confirmed the door to La Liga remains open
Cavani must decide whether he wants to become Napoli's new Maradona or join a European giant The Uruguayan hitman could be celebrating a return to the Champions League group stages with Napoli on Wednesday night but looks set to be this summer's hottest property
Conte 'like a caged lion' during ban - Alessio The 43-year-old missed the opening four months of the 2012-13 campaign and his assistant has revealed he worked even harder in midweek to have his team well prepared
Boniperti: Juventus too weak to win Champions League The 84-year-old believes his ex-team will struggle to compete with the continent's best until they become more physically imposing
Conte: I wanted to replicate Barcelona ethos with Juve In his interview with the Bianconeri, the coach revealed it was a desire to emulate the Blaugrana's mantra which secured him the position
'Abbiati's contract will be renewed' - Galliani Speculation has been rife that the goalkeeper could exit San Siro in the summer, but it now appears he will extend his 15-year stay at the club
Redknapp tips Julio Cesar to join Serie A or La Liga The Rs boss expects his Brazilian goalkeeper to leave this summer, with Arsenal, AC Milan and Roma all in the frame for the South American's signature
Fink coy on Bojan link Reports have suggested the forward, who is currently on loan at AC Milan from Roma, is set to replace potential Dortmund target Heung-Min Son
Allegri dodges questions on Milan future The Rossoneri coach has been linked with a move away in recent weeks but slammed the speculation, insisting he is focused on Wednesday's tie against Pescara
Fiorentina can put pressure on third-placed Milan and relegate Palermo with a win over the latter in Serie A on Sunday.
Vincenzo Montella's men are four points behind the San Siro outfit in the chase for UEFA Champions League football but with only two matches remaining, they might have to settle for UEFA Europa League action in 2013-14.
A Fiorentina win, though, would see them move to within a point of Milan, who will host sixth-placed Roma later in the day.
Roma are two points outside the European places, and need points to pressure fifth-placed Udinese - who are at home to Atalanta, for whom the season may as well already be over.
In the two Saturday fixtures, Lazio - who are level on points with Roma - can win at home to lowly Sampdoria to also mount a case for a European spot.
Champions Juventus will celebrate sewing up the Scudetto when they welcome mid-table Cagliari to Torino.
In other Sunday matches, Genoa can guarantee their ticket in the top-flight next term with victory over Inter at home - although a draw, or even a loss, could still ensure their fate at the weekend pending Palermo's result.
Mid-table Catania host relegated Pescara, while second-placed Napoli - who are assured of their Champions League group stage spot next season - are at home to the all-but relegated Siena.
Siena are six points deep in the drop zone, and need two wins - combined with two Genoa losses and a goal differential swing - to have any chance of survival.
Chievo and Torino will do battle, while Bologna can snap a two-match losing streak on the road at in-form Parma.
Serie A - Uncertainty clouds Napoli's celebrations
Napoli's joy at qualifying for next season's Champions League has been clouded by uncertainty over whether they can keep the team together for next season.
Reuters – 23 hours ago
Napoli striker Edinson Cavani (AFP)
The futures of coach Walter Mazzarri, who has transformed the team since replacing Roberto Donadoni in October 2009, and Serie A leading scorer Edinson Cavani will both be in the balance once the season ends.
"It's difficult to think of a Napoli without Cavani and Mazzarri; we would lose a player who has scored more than 100 goals and a coach who has turned us into challengers for the Scudetto," said forward Marek Hamsik.
"I hope Mazzarri and Cavani don't go, so that we can make this Napoli great," the Slovakian said after Wednesday's 3-0 win at Bologna assured Napoli of a second-place finish behind champions Juventus. "In the last three years, we have obtained great results and we want to continue like that."
Mazzarri, whose side host Siena on Sunday, declined to contemplate the future.
"I want to get as many points as possible and then I will talk to myself and decide what to do," he said. "I want us to play well and win against Siena and AS Roma and give a chance to those who haven't played so often and have deserved more."
There can be no doubting the influence of Mazzarri, who enjoyed two good seasons at Sampdoria before moving south nearly four years ago. He led Napoli to sixth place in his first season in charge, followed by a third place the next season which earned them their Champions League debut.
That itself proved impressive as they reached the last 16 at the expense of big-spending Manchester City. Uruguay forward Cavani joined the squad at the start of the 2010/11 season and has scored 102 goals in 136 appearances in all competitions since then.
He has a 63-million-euro buyout clause in his contract and there is speculation that Manchester City and Real Madrid are among the clubs prepared to cough up. Keeping the team together is a constant struggle for Napoli who lost forward Ezequiel Lavezzi before the start of the season when he joined Paris St Germain.
Only the top two teams in Serie A qualify for the Champions League group stage with the third-placed side having to go into the final qualifying round. AC Milan will clinch third spot if they beat Roma at home on Sunday or if Fiorentina, four points behind in fourth, lose at home to relegation-threatened Palermo .
With two games each to play, Palermo, 18th in the 20-team table with 32 points, will be relegated if they lose that match, or if both Genoa and Torino, the only teams they can catch, win.
Genoa, who are 17th and host Inter Milan, have 36 points and Torino, who visit Chievo , are one place and one point above them. Siena, who are 19th with 30 points, are virtually certain to follow Pescara into Serie B next season.
Atalanta and Juventus have been fined 50,000 euros ($65,500) apiece after fans threw fireworks and pelted each other with broken bathroom tiles, injuring five people, during Wednesday's Serie A game.
Reuters – 17 hours ago
Eurosport - Riot police, football. (Reuters)
Serie A's disciplinary tribunal said in its report that the conduct of the players and officials, who helped calm the supporters, prevented the clubs from receiving more severe sanctions.
The tribunal added the fans were involved in "a mutual, intense and continuous throwing of fireworks and pieces of tiles ripped from the stadium toilets".
The report said that public authorities ordered the match to be stopped for eight minutes during the first half. Champions Juve eventually won the game 1-0 in Bergamo.
The tribunal also handed Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri a fine of 5,000 euros (£4,200) for persistent dissent during Wednesday's 3-0 win at Bologna.
