Suarez-Evra spat takes center stage

LONDON (AP) ― Luis Suarez’s refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra overshadowed Manchester United’s 2-1 win over rival Liverpool that lifted the defending champions to first place in the Premier League on Saturday.

Wayne Rooney scored twice for the second straight match to guide United to victory at Old Trafford. But all the focus was on the pre-match handshake that never happened, inflaming tensions between England’s two most successful clubs.

Starting his first match since serving an eight-game ban for racially abusing Evra during a league match at Anfield on Oct. 15, Suarez withdrew his hand as the France defender put forward his in the traditional ritual before kickoff.

“He is a disgrace to Liverpool Football Club,” United manager Alex Ferguson. “He shouldn’t be able to play for Liverpool again.”

Police and stewards reportedly had to intervene as players from both teams clashed outside the locker rooms at halftime after Evra chased Suarez down the tunnel.

Evra then appeared to attempt to provoke Suarez with exuberant post-match celebrations on the field in front of the Uruguay striker, also forcing police officers to intervene.

Amid the mayhem, United managed to take an overnight lead in the standings, tightening the pressure on Manchester City ahead of its trip to Aston Villa on Sunday.

Third-place Tottenham stayed five points behind United by thrashing Newcastle 5-0 at home, while the fight for fourth place intensified following Chelsea’s 2-0 loss at Everton and Arsenal’s 2-1 victory at Sunderland.

Thierry Henry scored a stoppage-time winner in his final league game on loan for Arsenal, which climbed above Chelsea on goals scored. The two teams, who are four points ahead of seventh-place Liverpool, have the same goal difference.

France

American striker Charlie Davies made his return for Sochaux after an absence of more than two years in a 1-0 loss at Rennes in the French league.

Davies came on in the 78th minute as a replacement for Abdoul Camara and shot off target with two minutes left.

He had not played for Sochaux since Oct. 3, 2009, at home against Le Mans. Ten days later, he was a passenger in a car accident in which another passenger died. Davies was left with two broken bones in his right leg, a broken and dislocated left elbow, a broken nose, forehead and eye socket, a ruptured bladder and bleeding on the brain.

Spain

Sub-zero temperatures and poor defending cost Barcelona as its hopes for a fourth straight Spanish league title took a big hit with a 3-2 loss at Osasuna that ended an 18-game unbeaten streak in all competitions.

Dejan Lekic scored in the fourth and 22nd minutes to build a 2-0 lead against Barcelona, which hasn’t won in 50 years when trailing by two goals at halftime.

Alexis Sanchez cut the deficit in the 51st minute, and Raul Garcia made it 3-1 in the 56th. Cristian Tello scored in the 73rd and Sanchez appeared to tie the score in the 82nd, but the goal was disallowed for offsides ― despite television replays indicating he was not.

Barcelona has a league road record of four wins, two losses and five ties this season.

Italy

Newly signed Maxi Lopez scored his first goal for AC Milan, helping the defending champions rally for a 2-1 win at Udinese to help it regain first place in the Serie A.

Antonio Di Natale gave Udinese a 19th-minute lead with his league-leading 17th goal. Lopez, acquired on loan from Catania last month, tied the score in the 77th and then set up Stephan El Shaarawy’s goal in the 85th.

Milan has 47 points, two more than second-place Juventus, which has played two fewer games. Juventus’ game at Bologna on Sunday was postponed.

Udinese, which had won 10 of its previous 11 league home matches this season, is in fourth place, six points off the lead.

In the day’s other game, Cagliari beat Palermo 2-1.

Germany

Borussia Dortmund edged Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 to extend its unbeaten run to 15 games, and Bayern Munich beat Kaiserslautern 2-0 to keep the pressure on the Bundesliga leader.

Shinji Kagawa scored in the 45th minute in Dortmund for the defending champions, who remain two points ahead of second-place Bayern.

Mario Gomez opened the scoring in Munich with his league-leading 18th goal of the season in the sixth minute, with Thomas Mueller making it 2-0 in the 30th.

Borussia Moenchengladbach stunned Schalke with three first-half goals to win the late game 3-0 and take over from the visitors in third, one point behind Bayern.

Scotland

Celtic maintained its four-point lead in the Scottish Premier League thanks to a 1-0 win over Inverness. This was Celtic’s 17th straight win in domestic competition.

Given the lead by Joe Ledley’s 16th-minute goal, Celtic was reduced to 10 men when defender Daniel Majstorovic was shown a straight red card for a foul on Jonny Hayes in the 60th.