BARCELONA (AP) ― Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova returned to the sideline after missing just one game following surgery Dec. 20 to remove a tumor from a saliva gland, and his team routed crosstown rival Espanol 4-0 in the Spanish league.

Lionel Messi, expected to win a record fourth straight FIFA Player of the Year award on Monday, converted a penalty kick in the 29th minute to give Barcelona a four-goal lead, his 27th league goal of the season and 36th overall. Messi has scored in eight straight league games.

Xavi Hernandez put the hosts ahead in the 10th minute and Pedro Rodriguez added goals in the 15th and 27th.

Barcelona (17-0-1) opened an 11-point lead over second-place Atletico Madrid (13-3-2), which allowed Kevin Garcia’s tying goal in the 87th minute in a 1-1 tie at Mallorca.

Vilanova had a tumor removed in 2011 when he was Pep Guardiola’s assistantm then returned 15 days later. He will continue to have chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

“This isn’t over,” he said. “There will be days when I can attend practice and others that I can’t.”

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho benched Iker Casillas again but the goalkeeper entered after Adan Garrido was ejected in the sixth minute against Real Sociedad. Madrid (12-4-3) won 4-3 as Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in a three-minute span, and the defending champions remained 16 points back of Barcelona.

Karim Benzema put Madrid ahead in the second minute. Adan, who started in a 3-2 loss to Malaga two weeks ago, then made a poor backpass that was intercepted by Carlos Vela. The goalkeeper fouled the Mexican forward and received a red card.

Ronaldo tried to give Casillas the captain’s armband, but Casillas pushed Ronaldo away. Xabi Prieto converted the penalty kick, the first of his three goals.

Sami Khedira put Madrid back ahead in the 35th only for Prieto to tie it 2-2 in the 40th. Ronaldo scored in the 68th and 70th minutes, increasing his season total to 25 goals in all competitions. and Prieto got the final goal in the 76th.

The crowd at Santiago Bernabeu stadium jeered Mourinho was his named was announced before the game and cheering for Casillas.

“Perfect. They can whistle at me if they want and then support the team,” Mourinho said. “I think the jeers are for dropping Casillas, and I think that they are because we are far from our objectives in the league. I accept them both.”

England

LONDON (AP) ― Luis Suarez was involved in a new hand ball controversy Sunday when he scored the decisive goal for Liverpool in a 2-1 victory that ousted non-league club Mansfield from the third round of the FA Cup.

Daniel Sturridge, making his Liverpool debut following his transfer from Chelsea, put the visitors ahead in the seventh minute and Suarez extended the lead in the 59th by bringing the ball down with a hand before kicking it into the net.

Despite Suarez looking uncomfortable after scoring, appearing to expect the goal to be ruled out by referee Andre Marriner, the goal stood. Matt Green scored for Mansfield in the 79th,

“There’s no doubt it was hand ball, but the referee and the officials ruled it wasn’t deliberate,” Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said. “I spoke to the fourth official when it was given because I couldn’t see and he said it was (a hand ball), so I can only assume they thought it wasn’t deliberate.”

Rodgers said it wasn’t up to Suarez to ask the referee to rule his goal out.

“It’s up to the officials to decide that,” Rodgers said. “That’s why they get paid as officials.”

The goal revived memories of the incident at the 2010 World Cup, when Suarez deliberately handled on the goal line to block Ghana from scoring and was ejected. Ghana missed the penalty kick, sparking celebrations by Suarez on the sideline, and Uruguay advanced to the semifinals.

While the Ghanaians were furious with Suarez, Mansfield was more accepting.

“I’d like to give the benefit of the doubt and say it’s a reaction,” manager Paul Cox said, adding: “If it had gone in the other end and one of our players had done it I think we’d have accepted it.”

In Sunday’s other FA Cup game, Arsenal wasted a lead in a 2-2 tie against Premier League rival Swansea.

Michu put the hosts ahead in the 58th, one minute after entering the match. Goals by Lukas Podolski in the 81st and Kieran Gibbs in the 83rd built a 2-1 lead for the Gunners, but Danny Graham scored in the 87th to force a replay in London.

In the fourth round, Swansea or Arsenal will play at Brighton, the second-tier team that upset Newcastle on Saturday. Liverpool is at third-tier Oldham.

Italy

ROME (AP) ― Sampdoria upset Serie A leader Juventus 2-1 in Turin, and two other title contenders also lost as the big Italian clubs resumed play following a one-weekend winter break.

Mauro Icardi scored in the 53rd and 69th minutes for Sampdoria, overcoming Sebastian Giovinco penalty kick in the 24th. Sampdoria played a man short after defender Gaetano Berardi picked up his second yellow card in the 31st.

Antonio Di Natale scored twice to help Udinese beat Inter Milan 3-0, and Fiorentina lost 2-0 to Pescara for its first home defeat this season.

AC Milan was the only big team to win, struggling before beating Siena 2-0 as Bojan Krkic scored in the 67th and Giampaolo Pazzini converted a penalty kick in the 80th.

Juventus (14-3-2) still leads with 44 points, five ahead of Lazio (12-4-3), which beat Cagliari 2-1 Saturday. Inter (11-6-2) and Fiorentina (10-4-5) have 35 each, and Milan (9-7-3) is seventh with 30 points.

Fifth-place i(12-4-3) won 4-1 over sixth-place Roma (10-7-2) as Edinson Cavani scored three goals and Christian Maggio one.