Madrid - Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid both scored away wins on Saturday, against Getafe and Espanyol, without having to make an excessive effort. Barca beat Getafe 2-0 on goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lionel Messi, while Real won 3-0 thanks to strikes from Esteban Granero, Guti and Cristiano Ronaldo, who had started the game on the subs' bench.
Neither of the giants needed to get out of third gear against spirited but technically limited opposition. Both had their minds on this week's Champions League openers. They are now jointly on top of La Liga with six points apiece.
Barca coach Josep Guardiola left Messi and Thierry Henry on the bench after their World Cup exertions, and started with youngsters Pedro Dominguez and Jeffren Suarez up front with Ibrahimovic.
Getafe had the clearer ideas in the first half, and first Juan Albin then Roberto Soldado hit the Barca woodwork with Victor Valdes beaten.
After half-time Guardiola brought on Messi and Andres Iniesta - finally fit again - and it was suddenly a different game.
Ibrahimovic, who also scored in the debut 3-0 thrashing of Sporting Gijon, made it 1-0 in the 66th minute by prodding in a loose ball after the Getafe defence had failed to clear an Eric Abidal centre.
Thirteen minutes later a rapid counter led to Ibrahimovic setting Messi up to make it 2-0 with a simple header.
Guardiola said that "we have beaten a very good rival, in a stadium which is always very difficult. It took us a while to get moving, which always happens to us after national team matches."
Guardiola had words of praise for new defender Dmytro Chigrinskiy, who had a solid debut.
Later on Saturday Real beat an Espanyol side seemingly still affected by the heart attack death of captain Daniel Jarque in August.
It was the first league match played at Espanyol's new stadium, which will probably be named after Jarque. The appalling pitch made good football difficult.
Espanyol made a lively start but failed to beat Iker Casillas, who was celebrating the 10th anniversary of his Real debut.
Five minutes before the interval Granero made it 1-0 with a fierce drive, after playing a clever one-two with Kaka.
Espanyol ran out of steam and ideas midway through the second half. In the 79th minute Kaka picked his way through the weary home defence and set up Guti to make it 2-0.
Three minutes from time Guti played Ronaldo through down the right and the world's most expensive player made it 3-0 with a low drive.
"I am very happy for having set up two of the goals," said Kaka. "That is my function, really. That makes me just as happy as if I scored myself."
Real defender Christoph Metzelder said that "we have played a very serious game ... we are still at an early stage and some things need to be adjusted, but I think we are making a good start."
Later on Saturday, Sevilla scored their first win by thrashing hapless Zaragoza 4-1, with two goals from Brazil striker Luis Fabiano.
Abdoulay Konko and Diego Perotti scored Sevilla's other goals, Javier Arizmendi netted for Zaragoza.
Also on Saturday, troubled Atletico Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Racing Santander.
The game was preceded by an angry demonstration by Atletico fans, protesting the club's lack of summer signings.
Jose Manuel Jurado gave Atletico the lead three minutes before half-time with a fierce left-foot drive. But Santander winger Oscar Serrano made it 1-1 in first-half injury time with a left-foot blast.
Santander had defender Jose Crespo sent off just two minutes into the second half, but nonetheless had few problems holding on for a draw.
The long-suffering Atletico fans jeered their own team off the field, then stayed behind to continue to demonstrate against club president Enrique Cerezo.
Atletico have just one point after two games, and appear to be in for another long, hard season.
