UNITED FANS THROW OBJECTS ONTO PITCH IN GLAZER PROTEST V ROMA

Manchester United fans threw tennis balls and other objects onto the pitch during the Champions League match against Roma at Old Trafford, forcing officials to halt play in the opening period. United forward Matheus Cunha helped clear the tennis balls and pop balloons from the pitch before the match resumed. United had fallen 2-0 behind inside 17 minutes, with Matias Soule scoring in the 11th minute and Donyell Malen converting a penalty six minutes later after Ayden Heaven was penalised for handball. United went on to win the match 3-2, with goals from Bruno Fernandes and Cunha completing the turnaround.

The protest was organised by a group called the Stretford Enders, who distributed around 4,000 green and yellow balloons to supporters in the Stretford End before kick-off. A banner in the ground read "For the love not the likes." The green and gold colours reference Newton Heath, the club from which Manchester United was formed. The demonstration targeted the club's ownership, with anti-Jim Ratcliffe and Glazer chants heard inside the stadium, amid what both reports described as a nine-match run without a win in all competitions. Director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada were both in attendance at Old Trafford for the match.

The result ended a wait for a Champions League win that stretched back to a 4-0 victory over Sabah earlier in the season. Boos rang out from the home crowd at half-time after United's slow start. Speaking on Amazon Prime, Alan Shearer described the team's first-half performance as "absolutely atrocious." The club has not commented publicly on the on-pitch protest or the chants directed at its ownership.