Hellas Verona survived a late scare against Livorno to leave Tuscany with a 3-2 win in Sunday afternoon’s Serie A action.
The visitors had taken a 3-0 lead through goals from Bosko Jankovic, Romulo and Luca Toni but they let that slip with 20 minutes remaining as Paulinho and Leandro Greco both found a way through but Verona, living on their nerves, managed to see it out.
Toni and Donadel had early chances for the away side but it would not be long before they would take the lead and managed it through Jankovic who, famed for his power scoring from distance at Genoa, was given too much time from 30 yards to pick his spot and he planted the ball firmly into the corner.
With half time approaching, the Mastini hit Livorno with a real sucker punch by scoring twice in as many minutes to leave Mimmo Di Carlo’s team talk in tatters.
Firstly, Toni set up Romulo and the ex-Fiorentina pair’s understanding was on point as the Brazilian rounded off the pass with a measured finish.
In the final minute of injury time, Iturbe compounded the Amaranto’s misery when he teed up Toni himself who made no mistake from close range.
It was Verona who started the second half the better again after Innocent Emeghara fired one just over the top at the other end, Jankovic had a deflected effort that Bardi gathered without too much trouble.
Romulo then found Iturbe as the Hellas attacking trident continued to find space in dangerous territory almost at will and the Porto loanee curled one past the upright by inches before Toni was booked extremely harshly for taking a tumble in the box that means he misses the next game although he did not look to be intentionally diving.
The former Serie A capocannoniere brought the best out of Bardi with a stinging left foot drive after a neat turn as his side’s dominance continued to increase although Paulinho was not far away with a deflected curler for Livorno.
However, the home side draw a good save from Rafael when Greco dinked the ball over the top for Paulinho who powered a fine header at goal where it was met with a good save from the goalkeeper.
Ibrahima Mbaye did do his best to gift Verona a fourth midway through an action-packed half when his wayward header found Marquinho all alone in the centre of the penalty area but his execution was awful, failing to hit the target with a skewed volley.
Livorno did get one back with just under 20 minutes remaining when captain for the day Paulinho was allowed to pick his spot by Marco Donadel and he thumped his strike into the bottom corner with aplomb for his 10th of the season.
They were buoyed by that and when Verona surrendered possession immediately from kick off, Emeghara looked to have held on too long but eventually found Paulinho and his strike partner laid it off for Greco who curled an outstanding effort into the top corner off the crossbar and raise the roof around the Armando Picchi.
However, the Amaranto could not find that elusive equaliser and despite some huffing and puffing around the box, failed to create and real chances as Andrea Mandorlini’s men left with what was in the end an edgy win.
