Celtic and Arsenal to square off in Champions League - August 7,2009

Celtic and Arsenal have been tied together in the final qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. The all-British affair was determined at today’s playoff draw in Nyon, Switzerland. Celtic will host the fourth-place England side at Parkhead on August 18 and travel to Emirates Stadium for the return leg eight days later.

The Scottish giants will be fancying their chances after producing a dramatic, come-from-behind victory at Dynamo Moscow on Wednesday to enter today’s draw. They will have been playing competitive football for three weeks by the time the first leg kicks off, while Arsenal will have only just opened their Premier League campaign away to Everton.

For Gunners goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, failure to beat Celtic and progress into the group phase would be a disaster at the London club.

“It is vital for the club, not only for prestige but also for the money,” stated the Spaniard. “The fans need the team to be in the Champions League because that is where Arsenal deserve to be every year. It would be a tragedy not to be in the group stage this year.”

Best-placed path

Lyon v Anderlecht Celtic v Arsenal Politehnica Timisoara v VfB Stuttgart Sporting Lisbon v Fiorentina Panathinaikos v Atletico Madrid

Champions path

FC Sheriff v Olympiakos FC Salzburg v Maccabi Haifa FK Ventspils v FC Zurich FC Copenhagen v APOEL Levski Sofia v Debreceni

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