A calamitous mix-up between Eros Pisano and Stefano Sorrentino handed Verona all three points in the Monday night game.

Palermo were missing Ezequiel Munoz to a hamstring injury, so Zouhair Feddal started in the three-man defence. Verona’s goalkeeper Rafael overcame a neck problem to take his place between the sticks.

There was an early penalty claim just after 10 minutes, when Palermo’s Fabio Daprela was held in the area by Verona full-back Ivan Martic, a theme that would run throughout the half.

Mounir Obbadi reached the byline shortly after, but his fired cross through the box was cleared.

Vazquez found the net five minutes later, after Eros Pisano’s cross from the right hand side found Francesco Bolzoni, whose prod towards goal was pushed out into the Argentine’s path.

Juanito Gomez had a chance to level things for the home side soon after, but fired his half volley well over the bar when clear in space.

Verona had a penalty claim of their own just after the half hour mark, when he was held in the area by Feddal challenging for a high cross, but referee Gianluca Rocchi was not forthcoming.

They finally benefited from Rocchi’s whistle in the 41st minute, when Sinisa Andelkovic was judged to have held captain Toni in the box. The former Italian international fired in the resulting penalty to bring his team level.

The game quietened down after the interval, with long efforts from Panagiotis Tachtsidis, for Verona, and Edgar Barreto for Palermo, barely troubling the two goalkeepers.

Toni was clear through on goal on the 60th minute, but could not get the ball out from under his feet, and chose to go down under very light contact from Bolzoni in the penalty area in an attempt to win a second spot kick.

Palermo’s Andrea Belotti, a second half substitute for Bolzoni, fired over from Barreto’s smart over-the-top through ball, but it was a chipped through ball towards the other penalty area that led to the Rosanero’s undoing.

Pisano and Sorrentino both went to claim the ball, but neither managed to make any contact. As the ball travelled towards the Palermo goal, Gomez challenged a desperately recovering Pisano, who ended up getting the final touch, knocking it into his own net.

Rafael Marques’ introduction for Gomez, who asked to be subbed not long after his role in the winning goal, saw Verona switch to a three-man defence, and Paulo Dybala forced a superb save from Rafael seconds after the change.

Nico Lopez had a late chance to make it three for Verona went through one-on-one with Sorrentino, but failed to find the net.