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Arsenal were today drawn against Besiktas in the Champions League play-off round while Celtic will face Maribor after they were dramatically reinstated by UEFA.
Arsene Wenger’s side will be away in the first leg on August 19 and host the return at Emirates Stadium on the following Wednesday.
Besiktas finished third in last season’s Turkish Super Lig, 12 points behind champions Fenerbahce, and this will be the first competitive meeting between the two sides.
They are coached by former West Ham defender Slaven Bilic and have striker Demba Ba among their ranks after the one-time Arsenal target joined from Chelsea last month.
Ba had a frustrating time at Stamford Bridge and was largely reduced to a bit-part role during 18 months there. However, he has already made his mark with his new club, scoring a hat-trick on Wednesday as the Turkish side beat Feyenoord 3-1 to reach the play-off round.
Arsenal's summer signings
Celtic will face Slovenian opposition after Legia Warsaw were punished for fielding an ineligible player in their 6-1 aggregate win over the Scottish champions in the third qualifying round.
Bartosz Bereszynski, who came on as an 86th-minute substitute as Legia won the second leg 2-0 at Murrayfield on Wednesday night, was suspended following a red card in last season’s Europa League.
Legia chairman Dariusz Mioduski vowed to challenge UEFA’s decision. He wrote on Twitter: “Today, the sport lost behind closed doors. We made a mistake, sorry, but the penalty is disproportionate. Stay with us. We fight on.”
