Jules Kounde’s quick-fire brace helped Barcelona fight back to edge past Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League at the Camp Nou on Tuesday, marking a much-needed win for the Catalan side.
After a draw against Club Brugge and a defeat against Chelsea, Barcelona found their way to 14th in the standings as they aim for a top eight finish to secure direct qualification for the last 16.
Frankfurt is 30th with four points from six games.
Frankfurt struck first through Ansgar Knauff on the counter in the 21st minute, but Barca’s perseverance paid off when Kounde scored twice early in the second half.
In the 50th minute he nodded home from just inside the penalty area from a Marcus Rashford cross and in the 53rd the French defender leapt high into a crowded penalty area to head in the winner from Lamine Yamal’s cross.
«They made it difficult for us. They were very deep and had a lot of players at the back, which made it difficult. Yamal had two or three players behind him all the time,» Pedri told Movistar Plus.
«We made some adjustments at half-time, put more players up front and we succeeded. We felt better and found the goals. Kounde is a man who works hard and deserves it. We are happy with the result.»
In front of an animated crowd at Camp Nou – the first Champions League match since the partial reopening after two-and-a-half years of redevelopment – Barcelona began to gain control of possession.
Robert Lewandowski thought he had scored the opener in the ninth minute, but saw his shot from close range disallowed for offside in the build-up.
However, it was Frankfurt who took the initiative in the 21st minute and exploited Barcelona’s high defensive line.
Nathaniel Brown launched a defense-splitting pass to Knauff, who sprinted away from Alejandro Balde and coolly slid the ball past Joan Garcia to give the visiting side the lead.
The goal extended Barcelona’s poor defensive record in the competition under coach Hansi Flick, having now conceded in nine consecutive Champions League games and kept a clean sheet in just four of their last 13 games.
Barcelona pushed for an equalizer before half-time, with 16-year-old Yamal providing a dangerous low cross for Fermin Lopez, but the midfielder’s first attempt was heroically blocked near the goal line.
Against the run of play, Frankfurt almost doubled its lead when Ellyes Skhiri shot narrowly wide from the edge of the penalty area just before half-time.
Frankfurt came out more sharply after the break, with Garcia producing two excellent saves to deny efforts from Fares Chaibi and Hugo Larsson in quick succession.
Those saves proved crucial and kept Barcelona in the fight.
In the 50th minute, substitute Rashford delivered an inch-perfect cross from the left, which met Kounde’s darting run into the penalty area. The French defender headed into the bottom corner to level the score.
Three minutes later, Kounde struck again when another cross from Yamal – now operating on the left – found him in a crowded penalty area. Using his strength, the defender rose above his marker and headed a header into the net to give Barcelona the lead.
Barcelona pushed for a third goal, but Frankfurt held firm and occasionally created danger on the counter.
Despite the late drama, Kounde’s second-half heroics proved enough for the hosts to seal victory and give the Champions League campaign a much-needed boost.
Published on December 10, 2025
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(738x282:740x284)/matt-barnes-2-120925-6c43bb1bcbb344829634d37008a2fda4.jpg?w=238&resize=238,178&ssl=1 "Matt Barnes desmiente la ‘mentira de Internet’ de que un modelo de inteligencia artificial lo extorsionó con 61.000 dólares en una aplicación de citas")
