Are Celtic and Rangers ready for Champions League?

Celtic and Rangers start their Champions League campaigns on Wednesday

Celtic and Rangers are preparing to make the massive jump from Scottish domestic football to the Champions League, with the blue half of Glasgow in particular facing a daunting task.

Jo Potter's side must try to get the better of Arsenal, who finished third in the Women's Super League last season, to try to progress in the competition.

Meanwhile, SWPL champions Celtic take on KuPS of Finland.

"Unless you're a top side it's never going to be straightforward," former Scotland international Leanne Crichton warned Scotland's top two.

Celtic are up first with a rather unusual 10:00 BST kick-off on Wednesday morning in Lithuania before Rangers take on Arsenal at 19:45 BST.

How does the format work?

This is the last season of the current Women's Champions League format, with a single 18-team league to be introduced from next season, along with a second tier competition - like the Europa League in the men's game.

But for now teams have been split into three or four team mini-tournaments with all the matches played at one venue.

That means if Rangers manage to get the better of Arsenal, they will then play either Atletico Madrid or Rosenborg in London for a place in round two.

Likewise if Celtic progress they must take on either FC Gintra of Lithuania or Moldovan side Agarista CSF.

Round two is then a two-legged tie against a single opponent, with the winner progressing to the 16-team group stage.

Can Sweden tour help Celtic to success?

After guiding Celtic to a maiden Scottish title success last season, manager Elena Sadiku has been preparing for the rigours of Champions League football.

She opted to take her side to her native Sweden as part of their pre-season preparations where they were 2-1 winners against Djurgarden but suffered a 3-0 defeat to Swedish champions Hammarby.

"We were in Sweden to get prepared as best as possible because it’s a different type of football, it’s a different type of opponent," Sadiku said.

Celtic go into their big European test off the back of a 0-0 draw, at home, with Hibernian.

It's the only blemish on their record so far this season which includes four wins, 19 goals scored and only one conceded in five games.

However, the gulf between Celtic and some of the other teams in the SWPL means they will have to be sharper. But Sadiku says the biggest factor for her side is belief in themselves.

"I feel like there’s so much potential, there’s so much talent [in the Celtic squad]," she added.

"My biggest wish as their coach is for them to go out there, do what they’re good at and believe in themselves.

"Having confidence is how players get better and better and that’s what I want to see from my players, confidence and togetherness because that will make us better.

"Do I feel like they're ready? I’d say yes."

Are Rangers ready to 'suffer'?

Former Scotland midfielder Kim Little is among the Arsenal squad which will take on Rangers

Rangers also tried to prepare more for Europe's elite in pre-season, as they played Spanish side Levante, who finished fourth in the top-flight last term, and won 1-0.

Potter's side are top of the SWPL having scored 43 goals already (including 10 in Sunday's win over Dundee United) without conceding a single one.

But until now they've played a United side who narrowly avoided relegation last term, newly-promoted Queen's Park, and part-timers Montrose, Partick Thistle and Aberdeen.

Arsenal finished third in the WSL last term and were just five points behind eventual winners Chelsea, and have England stars Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and Alessio Russo in their ranks, as well as Spain's World Cup and multiple Champions League winner Mariona Caldentey.

To name but a few. However, they have yet to get their new campaign underway, which could help Rangers.

"I don't think we're going to face a tougher test," Potter told BBC Scotland's Behind the Goals podcast.

"You've got to thrive under it, this is the biggest test we can have, we've had a really good year, let's go and test ourselves and see where we're at."

But for a team who have rarely had to put their bodies on the line defensively, to go into a game where they know possession is going to be limited adds another level of difficulty.

"Even though we've not been tested [defensively], we've worked to nullify teams," the former England midfielder added.

"The importance of us playing Levante in pre-season is because we knew it would be a similar test.

"They made us suffer for long periods and that's something we wanted to feel.

"We've tried to replicate those moments. You've got to try and do as much as you can with what you've got and that's what we've tried to do."