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Star names to second-tier minnows - Celtic's Europa League draw

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It wasn't the draw Celtic wanted to be in, but they have emerged from the Europa League supercomputer with a relatively kind result.

Without doubt, the toughest task will be at the Estadio da Luz when the Scottish champions travel to Benfica.

In Portugal, Marco Silva's side dismantled Hearts in qualifying, but they did draw at Tynecastle - though the tie was never in any doubt by then.

While it's one of the trickiest away trips Celtic could have booked from pot one, they are rewarded with a nicer home tie against French outfit Marseille.

Fifth in Ligue 1 last season and captained by ex-Celt Timo Weah, they are a much more winnable tie than the likes of Bayer Leverkusen, AC Milan or Juventus.

Pot two - where Celtic were placed - brought the return of Ferencvaros to Glasgow. Under Robbie Keane, who quit this summer, they failed to win the league last season and had to navigate four rounds of qualifying to get here.

Like Celtic, though, Union St-Gilloise dropped into this competition after failing in their Champions League play-off, losing after extra-time against Bodo/Glimt.

Two seasons ago, they were surprise winners of the Belgian Pro League - under the stewardship of new Scotland head coach Sebastian Pocognoli - while they also use the same Jamestown Analytics data company as Hearts.

Into pot three, a former Celtic defender will return to Parkhead. Carl Starfelt and Celta Vigo finished sixth in La Liga last season, earning automatic qualification to this stage. A club, of course, Martin O'Neill faced on the way to the Uefa Cup final in 2003.

It's a tie Celtic would have preferred at home, while the away trip is to Omonia Nicosia in Cyprus. Yep, Neil Lennon's former club.

The Cypriot First Division winners were knocked out of the Champions League second qualifying round by Kairat Almaty - again, yep - but got past Lincoln Red Imps and STVV to secure Europa League football.

As names go in pot four, Besiktas are arguably the biggest. Celtic will be delighted they don't need to travel to Turkey for that one.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's previous club had to navigate three qualifying rounds and were helped along the way by former Rangers player, Vaclav Cerny.

While the Turkish heavyweights need no introduction, Torreense maybe do.

The Portuguese Cup winners join an exclusive group of second division clubs to play in European competitions after sensationally defeating Sporting CP in last season's final.

From a town 25 miles north of Lisbon, Torres Vedras, their 2,500-seater home stadium does not meet Uefa's requirement and so will play their matches 193 miles away at the Estadio Algarve in Faro.

Source: Yahoo Sports

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