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Werder Bremen sink Sampdoria

Moldovan champions Sheriff Tiraspol, bidding to make the group stages for the first time, lost 1-0 at Swiss club Basel and Portugal's Braga, also yet to qualify for the first round proper, beat Sevilla by the same scoreline.

Anderlecht drew 2-2 at Partizan Belgrade, the only Serbian club to have played in the group stages, in Wednesday's other tie.

On Wednesday he showed a different side to his game as he calmly converted a third-minute penalty for the Israeli league champions in the less glamorous surroundings of Salzburg's half-empty stadium.

Salzburg, Austria's biggest-spending club but foiled in their last three attempts to reach the group stages, levelled with a long-range Nikola Pokrivac shot in the 28th minute.

"We struggled to get into the game at first but in the second half we played well," said Werder coach Thomas Schaaf.

Valentin Stocker's close-range header earned Basel victory over Sheriff, who had Alexandr Erokhin sent off in the 86th minute before visiting goalkeeper Vladislav Stoyanov saved a late Benjamin Huggel penalty.

"I'm very happy with the result especially as we didn't concede a goal," said Basel coach Thorsten Fink.