Serie A: Ten-man Verona seal 3-2 triumph over Sassuolo

Luca Toni struck twice in the second half to fire 10-man Hellas Verona to a 3-2 home Serie A triumph over Sassuolo on Sunday.

Hellas lost goalkeeper Rafael to a red card in the 17th minute for handling the ball outside the area, but took a 30th-minute lead through Juanito Gomez.

The visitors equalised five minutes later when Vangelis Moras struck the ball into his own net in an attempt to stop Sassuolo's Simone Zaza from tapping in a Simone Missiroli cross.

Toni put the hosts ahead in the 63rd minute and the veteran Italian forward extended his team's lead eight minutes later with his 17th goal of the campaign.

Substitute Antonio Floro Flores gave Sassuolo an 89th-minute lifeline, but Hellas held on for their 10th win of the campaign.

The outcome in Verona lifted Hellas to 12th in the standings, 16 points clear of the drop zone with six games remaining, with Sassuolo three points behind them in 15th place.

Hellas had the first chance in the eighth minute when Bosko Jankovic's 12-yard shot was kept out by Sassuolo goalkeeper Andrea Consigli.

The hosts then lost Jankovic to a muscular injury and Mattia Valoti took his place in midfield.

In the 16th minute, Toni's powerful header from Jacobo Sala's cross went wide.

Seconds later and Rafael was given his marching orders after he touched the ball with his arm outside the area in an attempt to clear Gianluca Sansone's lob.

Francesco Benussi took Rafael's place in goal and Mattia Valoti came off just five minutes after the midfielder had entered the pitch.

Hellas broke the deadlock against the run of play when Sala set up Gomez in the box and his right-footed blast had the beating of Consigli.

Five minutes later and Sassuolo were back on level terms, though, as Benussi was unable to prevent Moras' poor clearance from finding his own net.

Hellas continued to push forward after the break and went in front when Gomez found Toni, who despatched a diagonal shot past Consigli from inside the box.

The hosts made it 3-1 shortly after when Francesco Benussi set up Toni in the area and he calmly struck the ball past a helpless Consigli.

Sassuolo found the back of the net when Missiroli's pass was tapped in by Floro Flores, but Hellas held on for victory.