Helsingborg heroes ponder last hurrah

Henrik Larsson and Andreas Jakobsson may be making their final professional appearances as Helsingborgs IF round of their successful Group H campaign at FC Girondins de Bordeaux.

• After his side secured qualification with a 3-0 win against FK Austria Wien on Matchday 3, the 36-year-old Larsson said: "It feels great to go through, but I've been here before and I'm happier for many of my team-mates. I've not yet decided what will happen after this season. I'm going to make my decision in the coming days and I'll let everyone know about it as soon as possible."

• The 35-year-old defensive midfielder Jakobsson has agreed to take up a coaching post at lower league side Svalövs BK next year. However, he may yet be persuaded to stay on for a little while longer. "There's one game to go and that's all that I'm thinking about at the moment," he said. "I'm focused on Svalöv after this season, but who knows?"

• The two sides have never met in UEFA club competition but Bordeaux have played three games against Swedish sides, winning them all.

• Helsingborg's only previous trip to France saw them lose 4-1 at Paris Saint-Germain FC in a 2000/01 UEFA Champions League first group stage game. They drew the home fixture 1-1.

• Larsson has played against Bordeaux before with Celtic FC in a 2000/01 UEFA Cup first round tie. His side lost 2-1 at home and then the striker scored in a 1-1 draw in France as Celtic bowed out.

• Legendary former France defender Laurent Blanc, now coach of Bordeaux, came up against Larsson in two international friendlies, a 0-0 draw in 1997 and a 1-0 win for France a year later.

• Bordeaux will qualify for the Round of 32 with a point against Helsingborg, having won their opening two games against Galatasaray AS and Austria, both 2-1.

• Helsingborg's season is already over, but a disappointing eighth-placed finish in the Allsvenskan has inspired them to do better in Europe.

• The Swedish side boast two of the competition’s three top scorers since the first round – five-goal Larsson and six-goal Razak Omotoyossi.

• The match in Bordeaux is Helsingborg’s 50th in UEFA club competition since making their continental debut in the 1996/97 UEFA Cup.