Real burst River's banks to lift Santiago Bernabeu Trophy

Real Madrid beat River Plate 3-1 to lift the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy, named after the club's late former president.

This year's edition of the trophy, inaugurated in 1979, enjoyed added poignancy as it marked 50 years to the day since the legendary Alfredo di Stefano made his debut for Real, with whom he won eight league championships and five European Cups in a row from 1956.

Di Stefano, now 77 and who started out with River Plate, received a commemorative plaque at the start as he briefly basked in the spotlight once more as the players formed a 'guard of honour'.

The match itself, aside from a fine drive from Santiago Solari ten minutes after the break and a pair of Javier Garcia Portillo headers, lacked the explosiveness of a Di Stefano, Real leaving out Ronaldo and resting Raul as well following the rib injury he suffered in Sunday's league win at Malaga.

Indeed, the match was one Real's stars could have done without in their crammed calendar, having travelled some 25,000 kilometres (15,000 miles) on their pre-season Asian tour before kicking a ball in anger back in domestic combat.

Portugal's Luis Figo and goalkeeper Iker Casillas were also missing on the night.

Without the finishing power of Ronaldo and Raul the hosts struggled to impose themselves early on, despite the promptings of Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham.

Earlier, Di Stefano had praised the fighting qualities of the England skipper, whose flowing hair at least provided one link to the "blond arrow" who preceded him five decades earlier.

But with the match essentially a friendly Beckham gave way to Borja Fernandez after 36 minutes and Zidane and Roberto Carlos just played the opening half.

Nunez fired wide before Solari headed against the post in the 15th minute from a Portillo cross.

Finally, after 55 minutes, Solari struck against his old club, weaving his way inside the box and crashing home from an acute angle.

Three minutes later Portillo headed home to dispel lingering doubts over the outcome and repeated the trick 12 minutes later.

Lucho Gonzalez drove in an 80th-minute consolation for River.

Real thus restored some prestige having lost last year's match against Bayern Munich, who also won the opening two editions of what used to be a four-team competition.

The hosts' last win had come against Santos of Brazil in 2000.

Liverpool and Everton made a guest appearance in the late 1980s but both lost out.