Chievo Verona 0-1 AC Milan

Clarence Seedorf rounded off a glorious team goal to sink struggling Chievo and strengthen AC Milan's bid for Champions League qualification.

The veteran Dutchman guided the ball past Stefano Sorrentino early in the second half after Marek Jankulovski and Filippo Inzaghi had both turned down shooting chances to set him up.

Milan did not have it all their own way, though, and boss Carlo Ancelotti had to watch most of the game from the stands after protesting too much over a first-half free-kick.

And he was forced to endure a nervous finish, Sergio Pellissier seeing what would have been an equaliser ruled out for offside and Dida brilliantly saving from Giuseppe Colucci.

Chievo started brightly and Philippe Senderos had to be alert to cut out Giampiero Pinzi's pass before it found Pellissier closing in on goal after just four minutes.

At the other end Inzaghi reacted quickest after Andrea Pirlo's free-kick deflected off the wall, but his header was off target.

Dida made his first crucial contribution to push Pinzi's header from Pellissier's cross over the bar before Ancelotti was sent from the touchline in the 37th minute.

He almost saw his side go ahead six minutes later when Sorrentino dropped Gianluca Zambrotta's cross amid a crowd of players, Santiago Morero hacking the ball away for a corner.

Milan were starting to find their rhythm and fine play from Kaka earned them a free-kick five minutes after the break.

Pirlo took the set-piece and forced an excellent low save from Sorrentino.

The Chievo goalkeeper was powerless to prevent a picture-book Milan opener in the 53rd minute, though.

Alexandre Pato raced down the left wing before passing to Jankulovski, who decided against shooting and passed to Inzaghi at the far post.

The evergreen frontman also opted not to pull the trigger, instead pulling the ball back to Seedorf on the edge of the area whose precise shot beat Sorrentino.

Chievo showed real spirit in their attempts to get back on level terms and Giuseppe Favalli had to clear hurriedly after Dida had spilt a Colucci shot.

Pellissier then found the net from a free-kick in the 66th minute, but the effort was disallowed as both Santiago Morero and Erjon Bogdani were in offside positions.

Andrea Mantovani kept Chievo in the contest when he cut out Kaka's cross, heading the ball narrowly over his own crossbar with Sorrentino nowhere.

And that intervention might have proved crucial were it not for a splendid late save from Dida.

Four minutes after Pellissier had fired a left-footed shot just over his crossbar, the Brazilian did superbly to deny Colucci after the Chievo man had found himself in space on the edge of the area.

But that chance with 12 minutes remaining was Chievo's last of the game as Milan closed out the win and strengthened their grip on third place.