David Beckham chose his debut at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium to open his competitive account for Real Madrid on Wednesday, a rare header helping his new side to steamroller Real Mallorca 3-0 in their Spanish Super Cup return to secure the trophy.

Domestic cup winners Mallorca had stunned Real 2-1 last Sunday to earn Real huge approbrium in the media - but second time out there was no chance of the nine-times European champions being caught out once Raul and Ronaldo had scored either side of half-time.

Beckham started out on his favoured right flank having largely flopped in a central role in last Sunday's opening leg - and he and the whole team offered up a much-improved showing.

On Sunday Real coach Carlos Queiroz hauled Beckham off early in the second half and sent on French international Claude Makalele, absent Wednesday with an alleged dose of flu.

With Beckham out wide Portuguese Luis Figo again switched to the left channel where he played for Real's pre-season tour of Asia, where Beckham netted one freekick in four starts.

The Englishman received a huge cheer as the stadium announcer read out the Real names - though the prolonged applause could equally have been for the team as a whole as the new 'galactico' wearing number 23 was presented last.

Thousands of empty seats also bore witness to the fact that many madrilenos are still on their summer vacation.

Beckham had his first chance to impress in the eighth minute after Ronaldo and Figo combined only for a defender's hand to impede their progress.

From out wide on the left, Beckham curled the resulting freekick past the far post to a deafening chorus of sighs.

On 13 minutes he had another chance, Ariel Ibagaza booked for clattering into Ronaldo.

He tried again five minutes later from around 30 metres out but the kick flashed over.

Ronaldo then burned the fingers of keeper Leo Franco with a drive from inside the box before at the other end Beckham earned applause for some energetic backtracking on the edge of his own box.

Real poured forward again and Fernando Nino left Figo in a heap with a stiff challenge which forced the Portuguese to leave the field briefly while Zidane tried a freekick which ballooned off the wall.

Raul, doubtful beforehand with a stomach upset, finally broke the deadlock a minute before the interval after Zidane went off on a run.

The Frenchman forced Franco to block a low effort, allowing Roberto Carlos to feed Raul who slotted in from three yards out.

Mallorca were posing few threats to the Real back four and the hosts, as ever seeing attack as the best form of defence, deservedly went further ahead on 53 minutes, Figo's crossfield pass finding Ronaldo, who drove home unerringly.

In Mallorca, 53 minutes had been the witching hour for Beckham - his cue to being withdrawn.

But this time he was growing in confidence along with his teammates, who had been slated in the media for their first-leg showing.

Real had a fright on 55 minutes when Arnold Bruggink's freekick brought a top-drawer one-handed save from Iker Casillas.

Beckham's fourth freekick of the evening - the crowd demanded he step up to take it - then whizzed fractionally over before Casillas saved Real again from a barrelling effort by Ibagaza.

But a Ronaldo run down the left and a Beckhamesque cross found the England man with time to steam in and nod home to ecstatic applause.

Arms opened wide, he the former Manchester United man acknowledged the gesture of popular acceptance before going to join his clubmates for the winners' ceremony.