LONDON — Arsenal have been drawn against Udinese in the play-off to reach the group stage of the Champions League.
The Gunners will be at home for the first leg of the tie against the Italians on Tuesday August 16, with the return leg seven days later.
Germany’s Bayern Munich face FC Zurich of Switzerland, Dutch side FC Twente take on Portugal’s Benfica and French side Lyon take on Russia’s Rubin Kazan.
Arsenal face the qualifying tie to reach the group stage of the Champions League for a 14th consecutive season because they finished fourth in last season’s Premier League. Boss Arsène Wenger will serve a one-match touchline ban, which is hanging over from last season’s second-round exit to Barcelona in the Nou Camp.
Wenger was charged with using “inappropriate language” towards match official Massimo Busacca after he showed Robin van Persie a second yellow card for shooting at goal after he had blown his whistle for offside.
Van Persie’s dismissal means he will sit out the first leg against Udinese, while midfielder Samir Nasri is also banned after been reprimanded by Uefa for his outburst at Busacca.
The first leg of their tie with Udinese is sandwiched between the first Premier League game of the season at Newcastle and the visit of Liverpool to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday 20 August. The second leg, in Italy on August 23, precedes their Premier League trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United.
Champions League play-off draw: Wisla Krakow v Apoel Nicosia, Maccabi Haifa v Genk, Dinamo Zagreb v Malmo FF, FC Copenhagen v Plzen, BATE v SK Sturm Graz, Odense BK v Villarreal, FC Twente v Benfica, Arsenal v Udinese, Bayern Munich v FC Zurich, Lyon v Rubin Kazan (Ties to be played 16/17 and 23/24 August). — BBC Sport
