Beckham helps Real home as Barca edge out Bilbao

David Beckham made a goalscoring and winning Spanish League debut but it was Ronaldo who secured a narrow 2-1 home win over Real Betis on the opening day of the new season.

Eternal rivals Barcelona also got off to a winning start in a fixture which looked much tougher on paper - away to Athletic Bilbao.

"I think that's about the quickest goal I have ever scored," said Beckham after he added to Wednesday's second half header in the Super Cup win over Real Mallorca.

Dutchman Philip Cocu scored the only goal on 12 minutes with a glancing header after a freekick from Giovanni Van Bronckhorst.

New signing Ronaldinho had a quiet league debut for Barca following his summer move from Paris Saint Germain.

Last year's runners up Real Sociedad had to be content, meanwhile, with a 1-1 draw at Espanyol.

Pierre Wome gave Espanyol a 22nd-minute lead at the Montjuic stadium but Sociedad's Korean star Lee Chun Soo saw Darko Kovacevic convert his goalbound lob for the equualiser 11 minutes after the restart.

Valencia, in a rebuilding phase under coach Rafael Benitez, missed a penalty and had to come from behind as they could only draw with Valladolid, Pablo Aimar scoring late on after Sousa had put the visitors in front midway through the first half.

Brazilian striker Ricardo Oliveira missed from the penalty spot in the first half as keepr Albano Bizarri made a fine save.

Elswehere, Malaga and Villarreal ended goalless and Osasuna won 2-0 at promoted Albacete.

The opening day gave little indication as to who can challenge Real for the league crown, the nine-times European champions having won the title for the 29th time last time out.

With the bulk of the action showing sides still in third gear at this stage the most revealing moment of the evening was serial streaker Mark Roberts, who gave the crowd an eyeful at the Bernabeu before officials ejected him.

Real just about kept their concentration, even though Betis' Joaquin cancelled out Beckham's close-range strike on two minutes from a low left-wing cross from Roberto Carlos with a fine header on 34 minutes.

Without Chelsea-bound Claude Makelele, Real's midfield was at times a jumble.

But Beckham could have had a second when a piledriver hit the crossbar before Ronaldo volleyed the winner from Zinedine Zidane's swirling cross from the left flank to the far post in the 63rd minute.

Deportivo, third last season, travel Sunday to Real Zaragoza, while Atletico Madrid are away to Seville. Racing Santander host Real Mallorca and Celta Vigo meet Murcia.

Source: WorldSoccerNews.com

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