Ronaldo poaches the points as Owen tastes first Real action

Michael Owen made a telling contribution as he came off the bench for his first taste of life in the Spanish league to provide the spadework for a Ronaldo finish as Real Madrid opened their season by poaching a 1-0 win at Mallorca.

Owen came on midway through the first half for Raul, who picked up a thigh injury to withdraw on 24 minutes.

A confident run and cross from the right by the England man left Ronaldo with the simplest of tasks to chest home on 52 minutes and the Anglo-Brazilian strike tandem happily embraced.

"I have discovered how difficult it is to win a match in the Spanish league - but the important thing is we did it," Owen told reporters afterwards.

With champions and Super Cup winners Valencia opening their campaign Monday night at home to Villarreal both Real and last season's runners-up Barcelona had the chance to hog the weekend headlines and did not disappoint.

Barca swept aside Racing Santander 2-0 with new French signing Ludovic Giuly volleying in from close range for their 68th-minute opener before a penalty from Cameroon forward Samuel Eto'o completed a 2-0 away success achieved in the absence of injured playmaker Ronaldinho.

Real coach Jose Antonio Camacho, beginning a second spell at the club, gave Owen, a 12-million-dollar signing from Liverpool, the nod in preference to Spain international Fernando Morientes, who, back from a year loan at Monaco, replaced Ronaldo at the death.

Owen had said beforehand that he would accept having to start his new career behind Raul and Ronaldo in the pecking order - Camacho has warned his squad to approach their work "humbly" after last season proved a trophyless flop.

Owen's England teammate David Beckham, who scored after just three minutes on his own league debut last season for the Spanish giants, had a quiet night by contrast.

"It was difficult to get into gear tonight," said Camacho afterwards. "But in the end we got the goal, though we would have liked to win by a bigger margin."

Ronaldo's telling contribution settled a Real side who were without new defensive kingpins Walter Samuel, the Argentine brought in from Roma, and Jonathan Woodgate, a surprise new recruit from Newcastle.

In their absence Raul Bravo and Francisco Pavon stepped up to the plate and acquitted themselves admirably.

While Owen enjoyed his Liga baptism, so to did former Leeds man Ian Harte, and he did not take long to make his mark, giving promoted Levante a 42nd-minute lead at Real Sociedad with a thumping freekick.

But Turkish star Nihat Kahveci equalised with a solo effort just after the restart to save a point for the hosts.

Real and Barca have dominated the league for the past 20 seasons, during which time they have won nine and seven titles respectively since Bilbao snaffled the 1984 crown.

Since then the exceptions have been Atletico Madrid winning in 1996, Deportivo La Coruna tasting glory in 2000 and Valencia seeing off allcomers in 2002 and last May.

In Sunday's other action, former Aston Villa and Parma striker Savo Milosevic saved a point for Osasuna after Joseba Etxeberria had given Athletic Bilbao an early lead.

Brazilian Alvaro netted a double as Real Zaragoza saw off promoted Getafe 3-1 while compatriot Renato scored just after the restart to give Seville a 1-0 home win over modest Albacete.