Former winners Feyenoord and Galatasaray bowed out of the UEFA Cup on Thursday as Rapid Bucharest and Tromso secured surprise places in the group stage.
Holders CSKA Moscow made light of an injury crisis to ease through 6-2 on aggregate against FC Midtjylland. Brazilian playmaker Daniel Carvalho repeated his first-leg feat by scoring twice in a 3-1 win in Denmark.
Dutch league leaders Feyenoord, who won the trophy at their own De Kuip stadium in 2002, lost 1-0 in Romania as Rapid Bucharest advanced 2-1 on aggregate.
Mugurel Buga headed Rapid's winner after 12 minutes.
"Tonight proved that some of my boys were not prepared for what is demanded at European level," Feyenoord coach Erwin Koeman told reporters.
"I hope my team will learn from this."
Tromso, a modest 10th in the 14-team Norwegian championship, dumped out 2000 winners Galatasaray after a 1-1 draw in Istanbul put them through 2-1.
Canada midfielder Patrice Bernier fired Tromso ahead before Hakan Sukur replied late on.
Bayer Leverkusen, still searching for a coach after Matthias Sammer turned the former Champions League finalists down earlier this week, were knocked out by CSKA Sofia.
The Bundesliga side, who lost the first leg at home 1-0, a defeat which led to the dismissal of coach Klaus Augenthaler, succumbed to a 67th-minute goal by Moroccan international Mourad Hdiouad as the Bulgarians booked their place in the group stage with a 2-0 aggregate victory.
Leverkusen's caretaker coach Rudi Voeller, who holds the post of director of football, said CSKA deserved to progress.
"It's not just me but everyone in the team is disappointed and depressed," said Voeller.
"We tried everything and we gave it everything but if you don't score in 180 minutes you can't get through to the next round."
Bundesliga rivals VfB Stuttgart, who like Bayer have made a moderate start to their league season to put pressure on Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni, sneaked through despite a 1-0 defeat in Slovenia against NK Domzale.
An early strike from Dalibor Stevanovic put Domzale back in the tie but Stuttgart, 2-0 up from the home leg, held out.
GREAT ESCAPE
Two late goals, including a penalty four minutes from time from Dutch international Denny Landzaat, rescued last season's semi-finalists AZ Alkmaar from elimination as the Dutch side overcame Russia's Krylya Sovietov Samara on away goals.
AZ, who trailed 5-3 from the first leg, went further behind to Ghanaian Baba Adamu's superb bicycle kick at their Alkmaarderhout ground.
Barry van Galen headed AZ level before halftime but it was not until Adamu was sent off 20 minutes from time, for stamping on Barry Opdam, that the Dutch team seized their chance.
Substitute Danny Koevermans made it 2-1 10 minutes later before Landzaat scored from the penalty spot to secure a 3-1 victory after Danish international Kenneth Perez had been pushed.
Olympique Marseille, UEFA Cup finalists in 2004, needed penalties to overcome Belgium's Germinal Beerschot after two legs failed to yield a single goal.
Teenage midfielder Samir Nasri converted the decisive spot kick to give Marseille a 4-1 win in the shootout.
French Ligue 1 sides Monaco, Racing Strasbourg, Racing Lens and Stade Rennes also went through but Bulgaria's Levski Sofia spoiled a clean sweep, putting out AJ Auxerre on the away goals rule.
The group stage comprises eight groups of five clubs. Three teams from each group then progress to the knockout phase.
The final is in Eindhoven on May 10.
