Inter Milan defeated Hellas Verona 3-0 tonight to keep alive their slim hopes of reaching the Europa League slots in Serie A.

Hernanes looked lively in the opening 10 minutes and saw two of his shots blocked by Verona defenders, however it was Mauro Icardi who broke the deadlock after 11 minutes, scoring from close range after Rodrigo Palacio set him up.

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Luca Toni came close to equalising seven minutes later but his looping header went narrowly over the crossbar.

Marcelo Brozovic failed to hit the target from long range, and Mounir Obbadi shot wide of the right post on the half-hour mark.

Palacio doubled Inter's lead in the 48th minute, scoring from close range after Icardi's pass into the box.

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Obbadi came close to pulling a goal back in the 63rd minute but his shot was saved by Samir Handanovic.

Andrea Ranocchia then had a chance from a corner but his header went wide of the left post.

Palacio thought he had increased the lead in the 72nd minute, but his first-time shot hit the post.

Verona were given a penalty four minutes later after Nemanja Vidic committed the foul. Toni struck the spot-kick towards the bottom left corner but Handanovic's diving save kept the ball out.

Panagiotis Tachtsidis was denied by Handanovic in the 84th minute before Mattia Valoti failed to find the net from two chances in the closing stages.

Inter Milan notched up a third in stoppage time when Vangelis Moras put the ball into his own net.

The result sees Inter Milan move to eighth in the Serie A table, with Verona staying in 16th.