Wednesday 15 August 2007 00:04, UK
There were first-leg qualifying wins for Rangers, Valencia and Benfica on Tuesday.
Rangers secured a narrow advantage for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League third round qualifier against Crvena Zvezda with Nacho Novo grabbing a last-gasp winner to hand them what could prove a crucial 1-0 victory. The SPL outfit struggled to create chances against their very capable Serbian opponents and had looked to be heading out to the second leg with the tie still poised at 0-0. However, substitute Novo popped up in the dying moments to latch on to a flick-on from a long ball and drive home low and hard with his left-foot to send Ibrox Park into raptures. Primera outfit Valencia have all but booked their spot in the group stages after a comfortable 3-0 triumph over Swedish minnows Elsborg at the Mestalla. Spanish international Vicente got them off to the perfect start as he edged them ahead with just six minutes on the clock. The Spaniards added two more in the second half with David Silva (58) and Fernando Morientes (70) with finding the net with headers from Joaquin crosses. Benfica were also winners on the night in their clash against FC Copenhagen, but their Danish opponents might well have ended the encounter at Estadio da Luz the happier after a narrow 2-1 defeat. Benfica looked on course to record a comfortable success early on as Rui Costa opened the scoring on 25 minutes. Copenhagen had not read the script, though, responding 11 minutes later when Canadian international Atiba Hutchinson found the net and Benfica had to rely on a second from Costa with just four minutes remaining to emerge victorious. Lazio face an uphill task to progress from their tie with Dinamo Bucharest after the Romanians claimed a 1-1 draw in the Stadio Olimpico in a game that saw three red cards. Ionel Danciulescu had the visitors ahead on 21 minutes, but Massimo Mutarelli restored parity eight minutes after the break. Lazio were reduced to ten men when Valon Behrami received his marching orders 18 minutes from time following a deliberate handball and Mutarelli then blotted his copybook five minutes from the end when he saw his second yellow for another handball offence. Still there was another dismissal as Dinamo substitute Lucian Goian picked up his second yellow in injury time.
