Sampdoria captain Angelo Palombo admitted his side should have handled things better as they crashed out of the Champions League play-offs.

The Blucerchiati were down 3-1 to Werder Bremen after the first leg in Germany last week but stormed to a 3-0 advantage in the second leg on Tuesday night at home with just five minutes left to play.

Two first half goals from Giampaolo Pazzini and a third from talisman Antonio Cassano in the 85th minute looked like being enough for the Italians to progress to the lucrative Champions League group stage, but a lapse in concentration allowed Bremen substitute Markus Rosenberg to score in the third minute of stoppage time to send the tie into extra time.

Claudio Pizarro then struck in the first period of extra time to hand the German side a 5-4 aggregate triumph.

"If you are leading 3-0, then you have got to handle it better," Palombo told Sky Sport Italia.

"Perhaps our fitness levels let us down. Bremen are an expert side and they struck right at the end.

"Experience really counts at this level and they have some great players.

"It's a shame. It was a dream, but we'll try again."

Similarly, Sampdoria boss Mimmo Di Carlo was also keen to draw a line under Tuesday's dissapointing result, and he wants his team to immediately focus on the domestic challenge ahead which begins with the visit of Lazio on Sunday.

"From tomorrow we start thinking about Biancocelesti [Lazio] because we want to start well," he said.