AC Milan strengthened its grip on fourth place in Serie A with a tense 1-0 win over Lazio at San Siro Saturday that ended with a scuffle breaking out between players from both sides. Gennaro Gattuso's side knew it had to win to remain in the final Champions League qualification spot after AS Roma had defeated Udinese 1-0 earlier in the day. Franck Kessie's penalty 10 minutes from time secured a vital three points for Milan against one of its rivals in the race for a top-four finish, extending its lead over Lazio to six points. However, Lazio has a game in hand. Tensions spilled over after the final whistle as a melee broke out between the two sets of players who will face off again at the San Siro on April 24 in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal. The first leg ended goalless in Rome. "I even gave myself a thigh strain running over to calm everyone down," Gattuso told DAZN. Milan is fourth on 55 points, two behind third-placed Inter Milan. Fifth-placed Roma is just one point behind Milan, while Atalanta (52) and Torino (49) still have to play in this round of matches. Sevilla goes fourth Sevilla lifted its hopes of returning to the Champions League after it beat Real Betis 3-2 in a pulsating derby Saturday to climb into fourth place in La Liga. Munir El Haddadi headed the home side in front midway through the first half in a typically raucous atmosphere at the Sanchez Pizjuan but Betis leveled early in the second period through Argentina international Giovani Lo Celso. Sevilla hit back soon after to re-take the lead in the 59th minute with a flying volley from midfielder Pablo Sarabia and Franco Vazquez promptly extended their advantage with a thumping drive from outside the area. Cristian Tello set up a tense finale to the game by striking back for Betis in the 82nd minute with a sizzling free kick but The win took Sevilla up to fourth in the standings on 52 points, two above fifth-placed Getafe. Betis was left ninth on 43 points. Marseille survives late VAR drama Marseille kept up its hunt for Champions League berth Saturday despite losing in-form striker Mario Balotelli to injury after VAR saw them escape last-gasp penalty drama to beat Nimes 2-1. Balotelli has helped kick-start Marseille's chase for European football with seven goals in 11 Ligue 1 appearances since arriving from Nice in January but left the field with a thigh injury 12 minutes before the break. "He stopped because he wasn't 100 percent," said coach Rudi Garcia. Garcia's side moved above Saint-Etienne into the European places after squeaking past Nimes in the enigmatic Italian's absence. They took the three points thanks to two goals in two second half minutes from Balotelli's replacement Valere Germain and Luiz Gustavo and the video assistant referees ruling out a penalty awarded in the fourth minute of added time that would have given the away side a chance to snatch a dramatic point. It now sits fourth in Ligue 1's Europa League spot on 51 points, five behind third-placed Lyon — in the final Champions League spot — with six matches left to play after Bruno Genesio's side fell to a shock 2-1 defeat at struggling Nantes Friday. Now all eyes are on the clash between the two sides to come at the Stade Velodrome on May 12. Nimes sits 10th on 43 points despite Teji Savanier getting the away side back in the game with an 82nd minute penalty following Boubacar Kamara's handball. Bernard Blaquart thought his side had been given a golden chance for an equalizer in the final seconds when referee Frank Schneider blew for another spotkick in the fourth minute of added time after Marseille right-back Bouna Sarr handled the ball while falling over in his own area. However after consulting with the video assistant referees Schneider ruled out the penalty for a trip on Sarr. Blaquart's side are a point behind Strasbourg, which stays ninth, six points behind Marseille after a hugely entertaining 3-3 home draw with Guingamp that does little to lessen the away side's relegation woes. — Agencies
