Hellas Verona have made it six home wins from six in Serie A with a 2-1 victory over Cagliari, surviving a late fightback from the Sardinians to go fifth.
The hosts broke the deadlock after just nine minutes through veteran forward Luca Toni, who headed home after meeting Romulo's curling corner kick towards the far post.
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Toni nearly doubled his tally soon after as he failed to make contact from close range, with Bosko Jankovic then denied by a smart stop from Michael Agazzi.
Cagliari threatened a response when Radja Nainggolan clipped the crossbar with a drive from distance, but Verona increased the intensity after the interval and managed to move further ahead as a result.
Jankovic did the damage, swapping passes with Romulo in a neat exchange before finding the far corner with authority.
The visitors got one back in stoppage time when Daniele Conti volleyed in at full stretch, but Verona saw out stoppage time to maintain their impressive record at the Stadio Bentegodi.
Liam Power
