The choreographed clapping and dashes of blue were giveaways. In the K Stand, ostensibly a Manchester United fan stronghold. Visible groups of Rangers fans were brazenly showing their support - in the home section.

Rangers were allocated 3,768 tickets yet hundreds, maybe thousands, more were sprinkled across the home sections of Old Trafford for their Europa League tie. The away section was effectively extended by the Rangers supporters standing either side of the stewarding segregation.

When Cyriel Dessers equalised in the 88th minute, several Rangers fans around the ground could not conceal their delight. "And cue the fighting," a friend stood in the Stretford End - opposite K Stand - texted.

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"We’d been warned that Rangers fans would be in the home end. Fights immediately broke out from every angle." A young female fan in the Stretford End messaged: "There were about six Rangers fans around me."

Several United fans looked as furious with the stewards for standing motionless while Rangers fans celebrated in their faces as they were with Harry Maguire for his mistake. Darren Fletcher, a Scot anticipating the scraps, got out of dodge and headed inside. He possibly missed Bruno Fernandes's 92nd-minute winner.

This correspondent had been warned of a repeat of the Galatasaray farce when thousands of Turkish fans infiltrated home areas to watch their team beat United 3-2 in October 2023.

Galatasaray fans were more restrained until after the full-time whistle that evening. Then they surfaced and attempted to join the away section to celebrate a famous victory.

A long-time season-ticket holder friend got in touch on Wednesday evening: "United have done their usual trick and repackaged normal tickets as 'corporate' and sold them to Rangers fans in the home end.

"You'll see pockets all over like when we played Gala last year." We certainly did.

"Police were running around the concourse of the north stand after the game," another friend in that stand said. "Glad I didn’t take my nephew."

Greater Manchester Police has said they made a total of 39 arrests connected to Thursday night's fixture, which included 26 from the disorder on Great Ancoats Street.

Outside Hotel Football, a friend witnessed a Scot angrily confront a female police officer, accusing a United fan of hitting him. She replied that the police were on hand to "contain situations" if matters escalated.

United were asked for comment on the presence of Rangers fans in the home end shortly after kick-off. A response did not arrive until seconds after Fernandes scored, a vain attempt to bury bad news.

The club say their in-app digital ticketing database cannot eradicate touting. "People have already got around the ‘no screenshots’ rule with tickets," a long-standing season-ticket holder told me. "You just take a photo of the QR code with your camera and it works. That’s what the touts do. No ‘forwarding’ or membership required."

Ticket touts have also reputedly become so sophisticated they have the wherewithal to develop a QR code for United tickets, bypassing the screenshot approach.

Senior United figures are perplexed that so many Rangers fans were among the home support. Some of the larger pockets of Rangers fans that gathered were through category one hospitality packages that are a Uefa requirement.

United insist they took the strictest possible measures to prevent sales of tickets to away fans in home blocks in anticipation of risks around the game. The club claim tickets were only allocated to those who existed on United's database before the Europa League draw in August, while the same restrictions applied to hospitality tickets and tickets forwarded by season-ticket holders and members.

An investigation will be launched in the coming days and United have promised to take the strongest possible sanctions against the registered holders. Several United fans have effectively accused the club of touting.

"I was in E331 with my two children and there were 100s if not 1000s of Rangers fans in there," a fan messaged. "There's no way that many registered fans have passed on their ticket, especially given how only one device can be used."

A friend who has a season ticket in the first tier of the east stand admitted he did not dare go inside at half-time for a pint on the concourse. A woman was overheard telling the police she had had her seat for 33 years and turned up to find two Rangers fans standing in front of it.

Some Rangers fans allegedly threatened United fans when they attempted to regain their seats. Multiple fans have told the MEN that the police informed them they could not guarantee their safety.

"There was a big mob in the north-east quadrant and in various boxes," a United fan said. "I saw four Rangers fans get a kicking at half-time on the concourse and thrown out." Half-time ejections were rife across the stadium.

Two intrepid United-supporting friends reacted angrily to Rangers fans in their row. After Fernandes scored, they ran up to the Blues and celebrated in front of them.

United fans had the last laugh. "One minute you’re gooning in the K Stand at a late equaliser, the next you’ve lost and you can’t get home," another Red said.

The 90mph gales have ensured all direct trains back to Glasgow have been cancelled.