Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona shared four goals in a exhilarating first leg of the Spanish Supercopa.
Having hogged the headlines for a number of argumentative clashes last season, the two played out a game appetizingly void of late challenges and mass-brawls.
Another surprise saw Real take up the role of the cultivated passing side out of the two, opening the scoring through Mesut Ozil and then levelling through Xabi Alonso.
In between times, Barcelona engaged the smash-and-grab style often used by Madrid last season, with David Villa and Lionel Messi scoring.
Real's shift in tactics could well be traced back to the allegations thrown at them last season when, after they were crushed in the league and the Champions League by Barcelona, they were blamed of being unable to live with their Catalan rivals.
Thet was not the case here.
Karim Benzema, their most extraordinary performer throughout pre-season, saw an effort deflected wide off defender Eric Abidal, while the same player was denied once more when Victor Valdes clawed his header, which flew up off the turf, away to safety.
Sergo Ramos then saw a drive hit Javier Mascherano and the pressure was so forceful it was only a matter of time before Madrid scored.
That time was the 12th minute.
Benzema was again involved, bustling his way through before laying on a ball which Ozil hit across goal-keeper Valdes and into the bottom right-hand corner.
Not to be left out, Cristiano Ronaldo had a strike smothered by Valdes, but that effort signaled the end of Real's flourish of attacks as Barca grew.
They did not create any chances of note and, when Villa left Iker Casillas grasping at the air with a 35th-minute stunner, it came out of the blue.
Real were wondering what they had done wrong but, rather than ponder themselves, Barcelona scored again just before the half-time, with Messi slotting home after Sami Khedira unintentionally bundled the ball into his path.
Their lead only lasted until the 53rd minute, though, with Alonso given the time and space he needed to roll home into the corner from the edge of the box.
Ronaldo then forced Valdes to punch away his shot, while Messi whipped a free-kick over the bar.
The spirit of the game was truly tested when both Ronaldo and Pedro appealed for penalties, but tempers cooled enough for the game to end level heading into Wednesday's second leg.
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