Arsenal will have to beat Fenerbahce over two legs to reach the group phase of the Champions League following the playoff draw in Nyon this morning.
The Premier League outfit avoided Real Sociedad, Pacos de Ferreira, PSV Eindhoven and Metalist Kharkiv in the playoff round.
Scottish champions Celtic will take on Shakhter Karagandy, while PSV Eindhoven go up against AC Milan and Lyon have been drawn Real Sociedad.
Find out how the draw unfolded with Sports Mole's live coverage below:
Good morning and welcome to the Champions League playoff draw live! Arsenal and Celtic are patiently (or impatiently) waiting to discover who they will face in the qualifying round.
There are two groups in this draw - the seeded and unseeded teams depending on how they reached the elite European competition.
And we're off!
GNK Dinamo Zagreb vs. FK Austria Wien
PFC Ludogorets Razgrad vs. FC Basel
FC Viktoria Plzen vs. NK Maribor
FC Shakhter Karagandy vs. Celtic
FC Steaua Bucuresti vs. Legia Warszawa
That's the Champions route done with, now we're on the League route. Arsenal are up in this one!
Lyon vs. Real Sociedad
Schalke 04 vs. Metalist Kharkiv
FC Pacos de Ferreira vs. Zenit St Petersburg
PSV Eindhoven vs. AC Milan
Fenerbahce vs. Arsenal
So, there we have it! The Gunners have been drawn Fenerbahce in the playoff round as they bid to reach the group stage of the competition.
It's not an easy one for the North London outfit, who could have faced either Real Sociedad, Pacos de Ferreira, PSV Eindhoven or Metalist Kharkiv.
Arsenal would have been hoping to avoid the Turkish side, who have the likes of former Premier League players Raul Meireles, Dirk Kuyt and Joseph Yobo at their disposal.
However, Fenerbahce's place in the competition is currently under threat as they face a case at the Court of Arbitration due to their appeal over match-fixing allegations. If they fail to win their case, they will be booted out of the tournament. A disciplinary hearing is due to take place next week.
The Gunners will travel to Turkey for the first leg scheduled for either August 20 or 21, with the return leg, which will take place on August 27 or 28, at the Emirates.
How about Celtic then? They've been drawn a two-legged tie against Shakhter Karagandy, who come from the Kazakhstan Premier League, following their progression into the next round by overcoming Elfsborg.
It's a long trip for the Bhoys, who will travel to Kazakhstan for the first leg before welcoming their opponents to Celtic Park towards the end of August.
So let's look back to Arsenal's clash. As previously stated, it's a very tough test for Arsene Wenger's men as they face a side that finished second in their respective league in Turkey, while also reaching the final four in the 2012-13 Europa League campaign.
Despite the difficult draw, Arsenal fans will feel confident that they will reach the group stage as they have done so in 15 consecutive seasons.
The Gunners are searching for a star striker to bring into the club this summer, but if they fail to do so by the time they face Fenerbahce, some Arsenal fans may start getting nervous about their chances of reaching the group phase alongside the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City.
We all know that Arsenal are in the market for Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, who is keen on leaving Anfield for a Champions League club. However, the Gunners may already be out of contention by the time Suarez arrives! That would be ironic...
Let's clarify the Fenerbahce situation, shall we? The Turkish club were given a two-year European ban by UEFA due to match-fixing charges. However, the club were readmitted to the competition by the Court of Arbitration for Sport pending an appeal. It's all up in the air at the moment, but there will be a big headache for UEFA if Fenerbahce's appeal fails.
So, there we have it. The draw for the playoff round has been made and the winners of these ties will enter the group stage, where all the big names in European football will come into contention. Thank you for joining us, and remember to stick around for the Europa League draw on Sports Mole at 12pm.
