Fears of a possible outbreak of violence in Wednesday night's Champions League quarter-final first leg between Manchester United and Roma were painfully realised in the Stadio Olimpico.
Prior to the encounter in the Italian capital, five United supporters were hurt during clashes with home fans in the vicinity of the stadium.
The Red Devils had anticipated problems and issued a statement prior to the game warning their fans to be careful.
An estimated 4,000 United supporters who made the trip to the Eternal City took their seats two hours prior to kick-off but both sets of supporters threw missiles before the start of the game and the tension soon returned after United midfielder Paul Scholes was sent off shortly after the half-hour mark.
Trouble escalated after Roma took a 43rd-minute lead, with the Italian police storming the United fans section using batons against them before calling for reinforcements.
Announcements made in both English and Italian continued to be aired during half-time, warning fans the game could be abandoned if the violence continued.
Tensions died down after the restart and the game ended with no further trouble, with the visiting fans escorted out of the stadium 90 minutes after the final whistle.
