First Division - Day 1

Real Madrid 3 - Deportivo 2

Madrid: Casillas; Arbeloa, Garay, Raúl Albiol, Marcelo; Lass, Xabi Alonso; Kaká (Guti 82'), Raúl (Granero 62'), Cristiano Ronaldo; Benzema (Higuaín 72'). 4-2-3-1.
Deportivo: Aranzubia; Laure, Lopo, Ze Castro, Filipe Luis; Juca, Juan Rodríguez; Pablo Alvarez (Lafita 64'), Valerón (Iván Pérez 69'), Guardado; Riki (Mista 72'). 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
1-0. 26. Raúl. Following up after Aranzubia deflected Benzema shot on to post.
1-1. 30. Riki. Got above defence to head Juca's long centre in on far post.
2-1. 35. Ronaldo (penalty). After Raúl brought down by Aranzubia inside area.
2-2. 46. Valerón. Picked up Guardado cross and fired low shot wide of Casillas.
3-2. 60. Lass. Rounded Juca and drilled low shot into net from outside of area.

Yellow cards: Aranzubia 25', Lass 54', Albiol 71', Lafita 80'.

All eyes were on the Bernabeu stadium tonight, where the €200+ million Real Madrid kicked off this season's league against Deportivo. And although there were some scares, in the end the new "galacticos" ran out 3-2 winners to delight the local fans.

Kaká tried his luck a couple of times, but it was old hand Raúl who got them off to a good start after Benzema's shot came back off the post. But just four minutes later Riki headed the equaliser from Juca's cross, taking advantage of a back four who were just starting to get to know each other.

Before half time though Raúl was brought down by Aranzubia inside the area, and Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up to open his account for his new club from the penalty spot. But once again Depor equalised, Valerón taking advantage of slack defending just a minute after the restart to control a cross from Guardado and fire a shot low past Casillas.

Ten minutes later Valerón had the best of chances to give the visitors the lead when he somehow shot wide from three yards out after Guardado had set him up. It was a costly miss, and four minutes after that Lass picked up a ball outside the area and drilled an angled shot wide of Aranzubia to put Madrid ahead for a third time.

Benzema had a chance to make it four a minute later after the keeper spilled a long shot from Xabi Alonso, but with the goal at his mercy he hit the bar. It didn't matter in the end though, and Pellegrini's side had their first three points in the bag. La Liga is under way, and with Don Florentino Pérez's cheque book challenging Barcelona's hegemony, this may well be one of the most entertaining seasons for some time.