Updated: August 15, 2007, 5:09 PM EST 14 comments

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Benfica, which won Europe's most prestigious competition in 1961 and '62, beat FC Copenhagen 2-1, while Lazio had two men sent off and drew 1-1 with Dinamo Bucharest in Rome.

Rangers beat visiting Red Star Belgrade 1-0 through a 90th-minute goal, while Valencia overwhelmed Sweden's Elfsborg 3-0.

The winners over two matches will advance to the Aug. 30 draw for the lucrative group stage, where they will be joined by Europe's top teams such as AC Milan, Manchester United, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.

Rui Costa scored Benfica's winner - his second of the night - in the 86th minute to give his side a crucial lead heading into the second match of the two-leg meeting on Aug. 29.

Costa put the Portuguese team ahead in the 25th minute, running at the defense and unleashing a powerful low drive past goalkeeper Jesper Christiansen's outstretched right hand.

But Benfica paid for its clumsy defending 10 minutes later when Atina Hutchinson poked the ball into the corner from close range.

Benfica coach Fernando Santos took off injured central defender Luisao before halftime and sharpened his attack by handing Freddy Adu his European debut.

With time running out, Santos brought on two other strikers but it was midfield veteran Rui Costa who struck from outside the area to seal the win.

Lazio, which is trying to return to the group phase for the first time since the 2003-04 season, fell behind in the 22nd minute when Ionel Danciulescu headed a long cross past 43-year-old goalkeeper Marco Ballotta and into the top corner of his net.

Ballotta has claimed Lazio's starting job while newly signed Argentine keeper Juan Pablo Carrizo attains EU citizenship. Angelo Peruzzi retired after last season.

Lazio was playing a man down when Dinamo scored, not having replaced defender Sanchez Cribari, who was stuck in the face while challenging for a high ball three minutes earlier.

Lazio bombarded Dinamo's goal in the first half, but could not solve goalkeeper Bogdan Lobont, who even blocked a penalty kick by Tommaso Rocchi in the 38th.

Massimo Mutarelli equalized for Lazio with a header from the center of the area in the 54th, but Lazio finished with nine men when Valon Behrami was shown a direct red card for a hard sliding tackle in the 73rd, and Mutarelli picked up a second yellow in the 86th.

Dinamo defender Dorin Goian was ejected with his second yellow in the 90th.

Lazio is the only Italian club in qualifying. Serie A champion Inter Milan and second-place AS Roma qualified directly for the group phase. AC Milan - which finished fourth in last season's Serie A - enters as the defending champion.

Several fans were injured in violent clashes outside the stadium in Rome before the match, according to local reports.

At Valencia's Mestalla stadium, goals from Vicente Rodriguez, David Silva and Fernando Morientes comfortably paced the Spanish past Elfsborg.

Valencia dominated possession from the start and despite Elfsborg goalkeeper Johan Wilan thwarting chances by David Villa and Emiliano Moretti in the first 15 minutes, his save of Villa's shot in the seventh minute was wasted when Rodriguez converted the rebound.

Two more chances in the first 10 minutes of the second half also were wasted by Valencia, but Silva then outleapt two defenders in the 59th to head home Joaquin's cross for the second before Morientes headed in another cross from the right winger 11 minutes later for the finale.

Nacho Novo earned Rangers victory in the 90th minute.

Captain Barry Ferguson had just hit a left-footed shot into the side netting before Novo gave Rangers the advantage heading into the second leg with a left-footed shot across goal.

There are 11 more games scheduled for Wednesday, including last season's runner-up and five-time European champion Liverpool at Toulouse. Ajax hosts Slavia Prague, and Arsenal is at Sparta Prague in other matches.