The Hindu : Sport / Football : Rui Costa stars in Benfica’s victory

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Thursday, Aug 16, 2007
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Rui Costa stars in Benfica’s victory

LONDON: Two-time European champion, Benfica, won and Lazio was held to a home draw on Tuesday in the third qualifying round of the Champions League football.

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 defeated the visiting Red Star Belgrade 1-0 through a 90th-minute goal, while Valencia overwhelmed Sweden’s Elfsborg 3-0. 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 August 29.

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

Clumsy display

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 the injured central defender Luisao before half-time 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, 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 goalkeeper 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 equalised for Lazio with a header from the centre 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-placed AS Roma qualified directly for the group phase.

The results: Benfica 2 (Rui Costa 25, 86) bt FC Copenhagen 1 (Atiba Hutchinson 36); Rangers 1 (Nacho Novo 90) bt Red Star Belgrade 0; Lazio 1 (Massimo Mutarelli 53) drew with Dinamo Bucharest 1 (Ionel Danciulescu 22); Valencia 3 (Vicen te 7, Silva 59, Fernando Morientes 71) bt Elfsborg Boras 0. — AP