Arsenal have been handed an exciting all British tie in this morning’s Champions League Play-Off draw held in Nyon, drawing Scottish league runners up Celtic.
The one time winners of the European Cup have been given the first game at their Parkhead home on the 18/19th August before travelling to London for the 2nd leg at the Emirates Stadium. Celtic struggled through the previous round against Dinamo Moscow to set up this tie which should be an exciting encounter between two great clubs.
I am very much looking forward to the tie and am confident that Arsenal can ease past the challenge of Celtic. Despite the Glaswegian clubs’ rich history the Premier League’s superior finances has seen the standard of the English clubs rise dramatically to the point where I am expecting a difficult challenge in Glasgow but a straight forward game in the return leg. Celtic’s summer signing of Marc-Antoine Fortune for £3.8m illustrates the gulf in class that now exists between the sides and barring a huge shock Arsenal should make their way into the Champions League proper.
Full Champions League play-off draw
- FC Sheriff v Olympiakos
- SV Red Bull Salzburg v Maccabi Haifa
- FK Ventspils v FC Zurich
- FC Copenhagen v Apoel Nicosia
- Levski Sofia v Debrecen
- Lyon v Anderlecht
- Celtic v Arsenal
- FC Timisoara v VfB Stuttgart
- Sporting v Fiorentina
- Panathinaikos v Atletico Madrid
