Udinese dogged by bad luck in Champions League
For a second successive year Italian club just miss taking place among cream of Europe
Udinese suffered a cruel fate in the Champions League play-off round for the second successive year when they lost on penalties to Sporting Braga in the second leg of their qualifying tie.
New signing Maicosuel was the villain of the piece, with his chipped penalty comfortably saved by Braga goalkeeper Beto as the Portuguese side won the shoot-out 5-4 to reach the group phase for the second time.
The game had finished 1-1 after extra time at Udinese's Stadio Friuli, leaving the score 2-2 on aggregate.
It meant Udinese were eliminated from Europe's premier club competition in the play-off round for the second season in succession, after they were beaten by Arsenal at the same stage of the tournament 12 months ago.
Udinese finished third in Serie A last season but have lost several key players in the summer - including goalkeeper Samir Handanovic - and they had an early scare in the ninth minute, when Zeljko Brkic had to save from Braga forward Lima.
Left wing-back Pablo Armero settled the hosts' nerves in the 25th minute, crashing home a back-post header from Dusan Basta's lofted cross to put Francesco Guidolin's side ahead.