Arsenal draw Besiktas in Champions League play-off
Arsenal will take on Besiktas for a spot in the Champions League group stage.
The Gunners will travel to Istanbul on Aug 18 for the first leg before returning to the Emirates a week later for the second match.
While they have not encountered the Turkish side in European competition before, Arsene Wenger will come up against some familiar faces in former Chelsea striker Demba Ba as well as ex-Croatia manager Slaven Bilic, who used to play for West Ham and Everton as a defender.
While Celtic made the headlines after they were reinstated to the Champions League to face Slovenian champions Maribor, former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will return to Spain with Napoli to take on Athletic Bilbao in the highest profile match-up of the round.
Benitez suffered a group-stage exit from the Champions League last season and is keen avoid an even earlier elimination.
He said: "Among the five possible opponents, with Athletic we have been landed with the most difficult.
"They’re a team who play good football and, at home, the 50,000 people at San Mames give them a big push. It will be a very good, and very intense game."
Bilbao finished fourth in La Liga last season and were finished runners up in the 2012 Europa League.
Full Champions League play-off draw:
Maribor v Celtic
Salzburg v Malmo
Aalborg v APOEL
Steau Bucharest v Ludogorets 1945
Slovan Bratislava v FC Bate
Besiktas v Arsenal
Standard Liege v Zenit St Petersburg
FC Copenhagen v Bayer Leverkusen
Lille v FC Porto
Napoli v Athletic Bilbao
Source: Reuters, PA Sport
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