Unlikely goalscoring hero Jules Koundé struck twice with his head to lift Barcelona to a 2–1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday in the Champions League, strengthening their bid for a top-eight finish in the league phase.
Ansgar Knauff had given Frankfurt a shock lead, but Koundé’s quick-fire brace early in the second half turned the match on its head and put last season’s semi-finalists firmly in control.
Playing their first Champions League match at Camp Nou since 2022, Barça earned a measure of revenge against the German side that had embarrassed them in the Europa League that same year, when Frankfurt flooded the stadium with travelling supporters and sent Xavi Hernández’s team out at one of the club’s lowest moments.
Now under Hansi Flick, who has already delivered a domestic treble and another Champions League semi-final run, Barça’s atmosphere has improved—but this season has still brought its share of turbulence. Back-to-back defeats against Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain left their European hopes in jeopardy, making Tuesday’s win essential in the effort to avoid the play-off round.
Barcelona dominated the opening spell, hemming in a Frankfurt team reeling from a 6–0 Bundesliga thrashing by RB Leipzig on Saturday. Robert Lewandowski had a goal chalked off for an earlier offside, and despite their control, Barça were stunned after 21 minutes by a ruthless Frankfurt counter.
Lamine Yamal lost the ball high up the pitch, allowing Nathaniel Brown to burst forward and slide a perfectly weighted pass behind Barcelona’s high line. Gerard Martín failed to cut it out, and Knauff muscled past Alejandro Balde before finishing calmly.
Frankfurt then survived a frantic block on Fermín López, while Yamal endured one of his more inconsistent nights, repeatedly thwarted by the excellent Brown. Ellyes Skhiri later fizzed a shot just over as Frankfurt threatened a second before the break, an opportunity they would soon regret missing.
Barça emerged rejuvenated after half-time, aided by the introduction of on-loan Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford. The Englishman set up Raphinha for a chance he blasted over, before delivering a pinpoint cross that Koundé powered home in the 50th minute.
Only three minutes later, the French defender—who has endured a difficult season—rose again to meet Yamal’s looping delivery, steering a deft header back across goal and into the far corner to complete his brace.
Barcelona failed to find a third goal to put the match beyond doubt, leaving a tense final phase, but Frankfurt never mustered a serious attempt at an equaliser.
AFP
