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Braga and Bremen through after thrillers

Substitute Lima, 27, a Brazilian journeyman forward, came on to score a second-half hat-trick to give Braga a 4-3 win in Spain and send the Portuguese outfit into the group stage for the first time 5-3 on aggregate.

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Claudio Pizarro then netted as the Bundesliga team lost 3-2 on the night but qualified 5-4 on aggregate to leave Spain and Italy with only three teams in Europe's top club competition.

It is the 10th season in a row Sheriff have failed to get through the qualifying stages while Salzburg, Austria's biggest-spending team, have fallen at the final hurdle four times in five seasons.

Sevilla had squandered a flurry of early chances with Brazil striker Luis Fabiano and Mali's Frederic Kanoute the main culprits.

Lima, who played for a number of unfashionable Brazilian clubs before moving to Portugal last season to join Belenenses, doubled Braga's lead in the 58th minute by slotting home Matheus's pass.

"It hurts because we were winning 3-0 and should have dealt with it better," Sampdoria captain Angelo Palombo told Sky television.

Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.