Aleksandr Kerzhakov scored in the third minute for Zenit St Petersburg to give the home side a 1-0 victory against Auxerre in a first leg Champions League play-off match played Tuesday, dpa reported.
The Russian international striker gave the home side plenty to cheer about early on, but even though they dominated most of the play, they failed to find a second goal.
Auxerre seemed content to sit back and wait for breaks and had a good chance midway through the first half when Kenyan Dennis Oliech hit the cross-bar.
Later Tuesday Dynamo Kiev face Ajax Amsterdam, while Rosenborg take on FC Copenhagen and Sparta Prague are at home against Zilina.
The final game Tuesday sees Swiss club Young Boys Bern play against Tottenham Hotspur.
Five further matches will be played on Wednesday, with the winners of the two-legged ties advancing to the lucrative group phase of the competition.
The return legs will be played next week.