Verona earned a big result in the relegation battle, ending Lecce’s six-match unbeaten run thanks to Fabio Depaoli and Darko Lazovic strikes, but saw Thomas Henry stretchered off in tears.
Hellas had improved considerably since the arrival of co-coach Marco Zaffaroni, even though Simone Verdi and Marco Davide Faraoni were still on the treatment table. Lecce were smarting after fumbling a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with Milan, but were unbeaten in six games.
Kevin Lasagna had the ball in the net after 22 minutes, but had started his run too early and wandered offside before prodding past the on-rushing goalkeeper.
Pawel Dawidowicz went off injured and Alexis Blin forced a desperate save from Lorenzo Montipò after a smart Gabriel Strefezza ball rolled across from the right.
Lorenzo Colombo dribbled through two defenders to get the angled drive away, Montipò just about getting one hand to it, but Verona took the lead against the run of play.
Josh Doig whipped in a cross from the left and found Fabio Depaoli for a free header, which looped into the near top corner past a helpless Wladimiro Falcone.
Ivan Ilic thought he’d made it 2-0 after the break when surging forward to unleash a left-foot curler that bounced off the frame of the goal. However, the move continued and Ilic with a cheeky disguised slide-rule pass released Darko Lazovic for an angled drive at the near post to double Verona’s lead.
A corner was cleared as far as Depaoli to fizz inches wide from the edge of the area and Thomas Henry curled just over, while things went from bad to worse for Lecce, losing Samuel Umtiti to a shoulder injury.
There were even more worrying scenes for the hosts in the final minute when Henry crumpled to the ground in tears as his knee buckled underneath him, suggesting a serious ligament injury.
Verona 2-0 Lecce
Depaoli 40 (V), Lazovic 54 (V)