Coming into the contest four points adrift of the Serie A top-six, Milan knew the importance of a win against their struggling visitors.
Sergio Conceicao’s men edged a cagey opening 20 minutes as Tijjani Reijnders saw a low strike from range smartly saved at the near post by Lorenzo Montipo.
Clear-cut chances continued to be in short supply as the first half progressed, with Gimenez tucking a clinical finish beyond Montipo, only to be denied by the linesman’s flag.
After a hugely frustrating opening 45’, the Rossoneri spurned a glorious opportunity to take the lead on the stroke of half-time when Yunus Musah blazed wastefully over from 12 yards after an excellent cut-back from Giménez.
The early stages of the second half followed a similar pattern to the first, with a distinct lack of quality in the final third from both sides.
Conceicao introduced Rafael Leao at the interval, and the winger looked the most likely to break the deadlock for the hosts as he saw a deflected effort drop narrowly wide of the far post.
With time ticking into the final 20 minutes, Milan looked to up the ante in pursuit of a late winner, and a breakthrough duly arrived when Alejandro Jimenez’s dinked pass found Leao free in the box and the Portuguese forward prodded the ball beyond Montipo for Gimenez to head into the empty net.
That goal proved to be the difference between the sides, as, despite some late pressure from Verona, the Rossoneri held firm to secure a ninth successive victory over their visitors.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Rafael Leao (AC Milan)