Man United fans throw tennis balls on field before comeback - ESPN

MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United fans attempted to disrupt the Champions League match against Roma on Tuesday by throwing tennis balls onto the pitch at Old Trafford before their team staged an improbable come-from-behind win.

United were down 2-0 inside 18 minutes, with the protest having been preplanned and flagged on social media earlier in the day, but the hosts came storming back to win the game 3-2 and give manager Michael Carrick a much-needed boost.

«I'm not getting too carried away with things,» Carrick said after the game. «I think it's an important night. But we've got to take stock, we've got to stay calm and prepare and be ready for another big game on the weekend.»

Carrick's side went into Tuesday's game on a nine-game winless run and was quickly behind against Roma when Matìas Soulè struck after 11 minutes.

Seven minutes later, Donyell Malen made it 2-0 with a penalty before Bruno Fernandes restored some hope to the home fans with a spot kick of his own to cut the lead in half.

Matheus Cunha then added two more goals late in the second half to complete the remarkable turnaround and help United come back from a two-goal deficit in the Champions League for the first time since October 2021.

Cunha's celebration after his second goal earned him the first of two quick bookings, but the relief was as palpable as the delight as United held on for just their third win of the campaign.

The win over Roma ended a run of three-straight defeats, but the 45-year-old insisted there was no feeling of relief at the final whistle.

«Genuinely, no,» Carrick said. «Whether that's right or wrong, or normal or not, I don't know, but I didn't feel relief. I was genuinely pleased for the players.

»I could feel their