The Europa League match between Feyenoord and Roma in Rotterdam, Netherlands, was halted for about 25 minutes after Mitchell te Vrede was sent off for the hosts.
Roma led 1-0 (2-1 on aggregate) in the 55th minute when Te Vrede was dismissed for a late challenge.
As the home fans threw objects on the pitch in protest, French referee Clement Turpin then stopped play and the players returned to their dressing rooms.
"It was only right they suspended play, as we could've opened a shop with all the objects that were thrown from the stands," Roma boss Rudi Garcia told Mediaset.
Two minutes after play resumed, Elvis Manu equalised for 10-man Feyenoord. As the home side celebrated that goal, Feyenoord reserve goalkeeper Erwin Mulder was also shown a red card following a touchline incident.
Gervinho then scored to restore Roma's lead and the Italian side advanced to the round of 16.
In the first half, a large inflatable banana was thrown on the pitch. Turpin spoke to Roma's black striker Gervinho and both managers but play continued at that point.
Feyenoord coach Fred Rutten said he did not believe racism was at play when the banana was thrown, saying, "There is such a fuss made about it. I don't see it that way. We have different nationalities in our team. It's nonsense. We make too much of it.''
But Rutten criticised Feyenoord fans for throwing objects onto the pitch.
"Those sorts of things only hurt Feyenoord,'' he said. "It's a shame it happened."
Earlier, Rotterdam police detained 17 locals and five Italians ahead of the match
Police spokesman Gijs van Nimwegen said the fans were held for a variety of offenses, including fighting, possession of fireworks, and not following police orders. He said two people were found to be carrying knives, but could not say what nationality they were.
"It has been very busy for the police," Van Nimwegen said. "We have put a lot of energy into stopping fights. ... If we had done nothing, there could have been a lot of fighting."
Police were bent on avoiding a repeat of last week's violence in Rome. Police on horseback led hundreds of Roma fans to Feyenoord's stadium for the late evening kickoff.
Feyenoord fans rioted in Rome before the round-of-32 first leg, clashing with police, damaging a recently renovated fountain, and leaving part of the city's historic center strewn with beer cans and smashed bottles. The match ended 1-1, setting up a tense return leg.
Police estimated about 2,700 Roma fans would travel to Rotterdam for the match at 50,000-seat De Kuip Stadium. A small number of Italian police who know the Roma fans were to be on hand to help their Dutch counterparts identify possible hooligans.
Van Nimwegen said 83 Roma fans were denied entry into Amsterdam, and when they arrived in Rotterdam in two buses they were taken to a police station near the stadium and then taken directly to the stadium.
Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb drafted an emergency order that police could invoke if hooligans begin rioting, giving police enhanced powers to detain fans and eject them from the city.
Roma fans gathered around the city's historic old harbor and were kept segregated from Feyenoord fans. Buses were to transport them to the stadium ahead of the match.
Dutch authorities have said they will support private fundraising initiatives aimed at helping to pay for the repair of the 400-year-old Fountain of the Barcaccia that was damaged last week in Rome.
Aboutaleb says the hooligans responsible for the damage should ultimately be prosecuted and made to foot the bill.
Meanwhile, there was more trouble ahead of other Europa League games in Italy on Thursday.
Four fans of Turkish club Trabzonspor were injured during clashes with Napoli supporters, the ANSA news agency reported.
The supporters were hurt in a downtown Naples square after being hit by bottles thrown by Napoli supporters. Another Trabzonspor fan was attacked by Napoli fans riding a scooter, and a fourth was hurt outside the stadium.
Outside of Milan, two Celtic fans were fined after swimming nude in Lake Como. ANSA says they were surprised by police after a neighbor called late Wednesday ahead of the Scottish club's match against Inter.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.