Arsenal To Play Besiktas In Champions League
European football governing body, UEFA, has announced the fixtures for this year's Champions League play-offs holding later this month.
According to the draw held today, August 8, 2014, in Nyon, France, Arsenal will face Turkish side Beşiktaş, while Celtic will confront Slovenian title-holders Maribor.
In other match-ups, Lille will take on 2004 winners FC Porto, Napoli come up against Athletic Bilbao and Bayer Leverkusen play FC Copenhagen.
Arsenal, meanwhile, must over overcome Beşiktaş to seal their 17th consecutive appearance in the Champions League group stages.
Last season the Gunners saw off another Turkish club, Fenerbahce, to go on to make it into the Last 16, where Arsene Wenger’s side, finalists in 2006, came a cropper against Bayern Munich.
The first leg ties are scheduled for 19/20 August, with the second leg matches on 26/27 August.
* Arsenal's Wilshere
The ten winners will join the 22 teams automatically qualified for the group stage, which gets underway in September.
However, it was gathered that there was drama minutes before Friday’s draw when Polish club Legia Warsaw, who had dished out a 6-1 third qualifying mauling to Celtic, were ruled out.
According to UEFA, Legia were demoted to the Europa League play-offs for fielding an ineligible player.
Below are the full Champions League fixtures:
Maribor (SVN) v Celtic (SCO)
Salzburg (AUT) v Malmo (SWE)
Aalborg (DEN) v APOEL (CYP)
Steaua Bucharest (ROM) v Ludogorets (BUL)
Slovan Bratislava (SVK) v BATE (BLR)
Besiktas (TUR) v Arsenal (ENG)
Standard Liege (BEL) v Zenit St Petersburg (RUS)
FC Copenhagen (DEN) v Bayer Leverkusen(GER)
Lille (FRA) v FC Porto(POR)
Napoli (ITA) v Athletic Bilbao (ESP)
Source: Legit.ng
