Two of the Old Trafford stands were evacuated about 20 minutes before the scheduled kickoff of the Premier League game against Bournemouth at 1400 GMT when the item was found in the toilets at the ground. The match was called off soon afterwards and the whole 75,000-seater stadium cleared.

TV footage showed fire engines arriving at the stadium, one of the world’s most famous football grounds.

Police used sniffer dogs to search the area before calling in an army bomb disposal unit which carried out a controlled explosion on the item they described as being “an incredibly realistic-looking explosive device”.

“Following today’s controlled explosion, we have since found out that the item was a training device which had accidentally been left by a private company following a training exercise involving explosive search dogs,” Assistant Chief Constable John O’Hare from Greater Manchester Police said in a statement.

“Whilst this item did not turn out to be a viable explosive, on appearance this device was as real as could be, and the decision to evacuate the stadium was the right thing to do, until we could be sure that people were not at risk.”

Manchester United said in a statement on their website that the package had been found in the North West Quadrant, adding that the match was abandoned on police advice.

United Executive Vice Chairman Ed Woodward said staff were regularly trained in security with the police and emergency services. The club will investigate the incident fully.

The game has been rearranged for Tuesday. United cannot now qualify for next season’s Champions League after Manchester City drew at Swansea City on Sunday.

United are sixth in the Premier League table and would move above Southampton into fifth with a draw or victory against Bournemouth. They are due to play Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

On Wednesday Britain raised the threat level from dissident Northern Ireland militants to “substantial”, meaning an attack on the British mainland is considered a strong possibility.

There have also been concerns that the Belgian-based cell of Islamic State that carried out attacks in Paris six months ago and in Brussels in March might have been involved in plots in Britain.

 (Reporting by Ed Osmond and Kylie MacLellan; Writing by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Louise Ireland)

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BERLIN (Reuters) – Thomas Mueller and Thiago Alcantara struck twice as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich thumped Werder Bremen 5-0 on Saturday to open an eight-point gap at the top with their first win in three games.

The Bavarians, who claimed one point from their previous two matches, terrorised visiting Werder with Kingsley Coman setting up three goals in an eye-catching dress rehearsal for the Champions League last-16 second leg against Juventus next week.

“It may look easy … but it was not,” said Bayern coach Pep Guardiola. “It was important to win after losing to Mainz 05 (last week).

“As for Kingsley, he is a young player but today he showed his quality. We will need such a player on Wednesday.”

Guardiola can also count on Mario Goetze again after the attacking midfielder made his comeback from a four-month injury layoff.

Thiago, plagued by injuries for the past two seasons, fired the hosts into a ninth-minute lead with his first goal in 748 days following fine work down the right from 19-year-old winger Coman.

Werder were unable to threaten without injured top striker Claudio Pizarro and Frenchman Coman set up the second goal for Mueller who volleyed in from five metres in the 31st minute.

The Germany forward, enjoying his most prolific season in attack, then grabbed his 19th league goal of the campaign when he stabbed the ball home after keeper Felix Wiedwald had spectacularly parried a 20-metre volley from Franck Ribery in the 65th minute.

LEADING SCORER

Substitute Robert Lewandowski, who had come on in the 74th minute, netted his 24th league goal of the season four minutes from time to remain the leading Bundesliga scorer.

Thiago then finished off yet another Coman cut-back in the dying seconds.

Bayern have 66 points from 26 matches with Borussia Dortmund on 58 ahead of their home game with Mainz 05 on Sunday.

Borussia Moenchengladbach moved back into the top four after a stunning goal from Raffael helped them beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0.

The Brazilian curled a shot in from 30 metres after keeper Lukas Hradecky tried to clear the ball but sent it straight into the path of the striker in the 53rd minute.

Lars Stindl had put the hosts ahead and youngster Mahmoud Dahoud added a third goal in the 79th minute as Gladbach climbed above Schalke 04 into fourth place on 42 points, three behind Hertha Berlin who are third.

Eintracht, beaten in coach Niko Kovac’s first game, remained in the relegation playoff spot on 24 points, the same as second from bottom Hoffenheim who recorded a surprise 1-0 win over Champions League quarter-finalists VfL Wolfsburg.

Last season’s Bundesliga runners-up Wolfsburg lost further ground in their quest for a top-four finish as they stayed seventh.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; editing by Martyn Herman)

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LONDON (Reuters) – Ten-man Manchester United suffered a blow to their Premier League top-four hopes with a 1-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion as 10-man Liverpool kept up the pressure with a last-gasp 2-1 win at Crystal Palace on Sunday.

United lost Spain international Juan Mata to two yellow cards inside two minutes midway through the first half and went behind to a sharp goal from Venezuelan striker Salomon Rondon on 67 minutes.

Louis van Gaal’s side were unable to fight back and slumped to their first league defeat at The Hawthorns since 1984 to end their recent run of four straight wins in all competitions.

“When you have to play 75 minutes with 10 players, I don’t think we were so uncomfortable,” United manager Van Gaal told BBC Sport.

“The loss is a big blow because it was not necessary. When you see the first half it was not necessary, I think.”

United remain sixth, three points adrift of Manchester City in fourth place, with Liverpool breathing down their neck in seventh after fighting back from 1-0 down with 10 men to consign Palace to a 12th league game without a win.

The home side went ahead through Joe Ledley’s low drive just after the break and Liverpool found themselves further on the back foot when they lost James Milner to a second yellow card on 62 minutes.

Yet Juergen Klopp’s men kept pressing and their perseverance paid off when Palace goalkeeper Alex McCarthy lost his footing and scuffed a clearance straight to Roberto Firmino, who fired it past him for the equaliser on 72 minutes.

Deep into stoppage time late substitute Christian Benteke surged into the left side of the Palace penalty area and went down after a slight contact with defender Damien Delaney, who was sliding on his knees.

“ROBBED”

Referee Andre Marriner awarded the spot kick after consulting his linesman and Belgium’s Benteke opted for a stuttering run-up before burying the penalty with virtually the last kick of the match.

“I feel sorry for Palace but I have just seen the replay in the dressing room and it was a clear penalty,” Klopp told BBC Sport.

“If there was no contact, Benteke would have been in a great position to shoot. He made the move and forced the situation.

“This is the third league win in a row. I can’t believe how it feels — really good, a big moment for us.”

Former Aston Villa striker Benteke was adamant he had been floored, saying: “I believe he touched me, otherwise I don’t go down.”

But Palace manager Alan Pardew threw his jacket into the dugout in disgust at the penalty decision and said afterwards his side were “robbed”.

“You’ve got to be 100 percent sure,” he told Sky Sports. “In super slow motion the knee touches the foot and he goes over like he’s been shot.

“The linesman assumes that little touch is a penalty. If you think that touch affects the fall and the way he lands, then you really need to be consulted.”

Palace, who are without a league win in 2016, are 15th in the table, nine points above the relegation zone.

Pardew told BBC Sport: “I feel like we’ve been robbed a little bit but again maybe we shot ourselves in the foot a bit.”

(Editing by Toby Davis)

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