チャンピオンズリーグプレイオフドロー！！

Arsenal handed Celtic challenge(uefa.com)

Last season's semi-finalists Arsenal FC must overcome Celtic FC if they are to return to the UEFA Champions League group stage following the draw for the play-off round in Nyon.

British rivals
The north London club lost to Manchester United FC in the last four in May and, having last missed out on the competition's group stage in 1997/98, must defeat their Scottish opponents – winners of the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1967 – in the Non-Champions Route. Elsewhere in the same section, Olympique Lyonnais, beaten by eventual champions FC Barcelona in last season's first knockout round, take on RSC Anderlecht from Belgium while Romania's FC Timişoara are rewarded for ousting FC Shakhtar Donetsk in the third qualifying round with a tie against VfB Stuttgart. Sporting Clube de Portugal, who edged out FC Twente to reach this stage, play ACF Fiorentina and the final tie brings together two teams who reached the first knockout round earlier this year in Panathinaikos FC and Club Atlético de Madrid.

Champions meet
The Champions Route paired Greece's titleholders Olympiacos CFP – who reached the first knockout round in 2007/08 – against FC Sheriff from Moldova, while Austria's FC Salzburg take on Maccabi Haifa FC of Israel. FK Ventspils, bidding to become the first Latvian side to reach the competition's group stage, must overcome FC Zürich, Denmark's FC København take on APOEL FC from Cyprus and PFC Levski Sofia of Bulgaria are the opponents for Hungary's Debreceni VSC.

Tie details
The play-offs are played over two legs on 18/19 and 25/26 August with the ten winners joining the draw for the UEFA Champions League group stage, which takes place in Monaco on 27 August. The losers will automatically drop into the inaugural UEFA Europa League group stage.

UEFA Champions League play-off round
Non-Champions Route
Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) v RSC Anderlecht (BEL)
Celtic FC (SCO) v Arsenal FC (ENG)
FC Timişoara (ROU) v VfB Stuttgart (GER)
Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR) v ACF Fiorentina (ITA)
Panathinaikos FC (GRE) v Club Atlético de Madrid (ESP)

UEFA Champions League play-off round
Champions Route
FC Sheriff (MDA) v Olympiacos CFP (GRE)
FC Salzburg (AUT) v Maccabi Haifa FC (ISR)
FK Ventspils (LVA) v FC Zürich (SUI)
FC København (DEN) v APOEL FC (CYP)
PFC Levski Sofia (BUL) v Debreceni VSC (HUN)

Non-Champions Routeは強豪同士の潰しあいは実現しなかった。アーセナルはセルティックと、アトレティコ・マドリーはパナシナイコスと、フィオレンティーナはスポルティングという昨シーズンの本戦に出場したクラブ同士の激突にはなったものの、基本的には順当にアーセナル、アトレティコ・マドリー、フィオレンティーナが本戦に駒を進めそうだ。もちろん、楽観視はできないしアップセットもあるだろうけれども。

Champions League - qualification, Europe(bwin)

Celtic Glasgow - Arsenal FC - 8:45 PM
Who will advance to the next round?
8:45 PM Celtic Glasgow 4.75 Arsenal FC 1.15

FC Copenhagen - Apoel Nicosia - 8:45 PM
Who will advance to the next round?
8:45 PM FC Copenhagen 1.25 Apoel Nicosia 3.55

FC Sheriff Tiraspol - Olympiakos - 8:45 PM
Who will advance to the next round?
8:45 PM FC Sheriff Tiraspol 5.75 Olympiakos 1.10

FC Timisoara - VfB Stuttgart - 8:45 PM
Who will advance to the next round?
8:45 PM FC Timisoara 5.75 VfB Stuttgart 1.10

FK Ventspils - FC Zurich - 8:45 PM
Who will advance to the next round?
8:45 PM FK Ventspils 2.95 FC Zurich 1.35

Levski Sofia - Debreceni - 8:45 PM
Who will advance to the next round?
8:45 PM Levski Sofia 2.10 Debreceni 1.65

Olympique Lyonnais - Anderlecht - 8:45 PM
Who will advance to the next round?
8:45 PM Olympique Lyonnais 1.20 Anderlecht 4.00

Panathinaikos - Atletico Madrid - 8:45 PM
Who will advance to the next round?
8:45 PM Panathinaikos 2.55 Atletico Madrid 1.45

Red Bull Salzburg - Maccabi Haifa - 8:45 PM
Who will advance to the next round?
8:45 PM Red Bull Salzburg 1.85 Maccabi Haifa 1.85

Sporting Clube de Portugal - Fiorentina - 8:45 PM
Who will advance to the next round?
8:45 PM Sporting Clube de Portugal 2.55 Fiorentina 1.45

bwinもヨーロッパの強国が有利と予想しているのだよね。