Larsson ready to welcome Panionios
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Article summary
Henrik Larsson will look to strike his first goals against Greek opposition as Helsingborgs IF host Panionios GSS in their UEFA Cup Group H opener.
Article body
Helsingborgs IF's Henrik Larsson will look to strike his first goals against Greek opposition as the Swedish side host Panionios GSS in their UEFA Cup Group H opener.
• The two sides have never met in European competition.
• Helsingborg have never come up against Greek opposition before.
• Panionios met Helsingborg's Allsvenskan rivals IFK Göteborg in the second round of the 1979/80 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. They lost 2-0 in Sweden but won 1-0 at home.
• In total, five games have been played between clubs from the two countries on Swedish soil. Of those ties, the home side has won three with one draw and a solitary win for the Greek visitors.
• Panionios' Ghanaian midfielder Bennard Kumordzi has some knowledge of Swedish football having spent the 2005 and 2006 seasons with IFK Nörrkoping.
• Helsingborg's English coach Stuart Baxter led AIK Solna as they earned a 1-0 aggregate victory against another Greek side, AEK Athens FC, in the 1999/00 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round.
• Star Helsingborg striker Henrik Larsson has only taken part in one previous game against a Greek side, playing for FC Barcelona in a 0-0 draw at Panathinaikos FC in the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League group stage.
• Greek and Swedish sides meet in another UEFA Cup game on 25 October as AEK Athens FC visit IF Elfsborg in Group C.
• Helsingborg have won their last five European home games since losing 3-1 to Ipswich Town FC in the second round of the 2001/02 UEFA Cup. In those five games, they have scored 17 goals and conceded just one.
• A 2-0 win at FC Sochaux-Montbéliard in the first round ended a run of four straight European away defeats for Panionios.
• Panionios have played 27 European games to date but have never drawn in UEFA club competition, winning 12 matches and losing 15.
• Panionios are one of five Greek clubs in the group stage along with AEK, Aris Thessaloniki FC, Larissa FC and Panathinaikos FC.
• FC Girondins de Bordeaux are at home against Galatasaray SK in today's other Group H game.