Barcelona overcame a first-half deficit to secure a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Tuesday. Jules Kounde scored twice in the second half to complete the turnaround after Ansgar Knauff's early goal for the visitors. The win marked Barcelona's seventh comeback of the season and helped Lamine Yamal break a Champions League record.
Barcelona's resilient comeback
Barcelona trailed 1-0 at halftime against Eintracht Frankfurt in their Champions League league-phase match at the Camp Nou. Ansgar Knauff opened the scoring for the Bundesliga side in the 21st minute, putting the Catalan team in a familiar position after recent struggles, including a 3-0 loss to Chelsea in their previous outing.
The second half saw Barcelona mount a high-pressure response. In the 67th minute, Marcus Rashford delivered an in-swinging cross, which Jules Kounde met with a thumping header to level the score at 1-1. Just three minutes later, Lamine Yamal provided a precise cross to the far post, and Kounde inadvertently scored the winner while attempting to cut the ball back for a teammate, glancing it into the net for a 2-1 lead.
Kounde was named player of the match for his brace, reflecting Barcelona's defensive solidity despite early concessions and their attacking potency. The victory moved Barcelona to 10 points and 14th in the 36-team table, two points shy of the top eight for automatic round-of-16 qualification. With two matches remaining—away to Slavia Prague and home against FC Copenhagen—they remain in contention for advancement.
Yamal breaks Mbappé's record
Seventeen-year-old winger Lamine Yamal was pivotal, assisting Kounde's winner and reaching 14 goal involvements in the Champions League as the youngest player to do so, surpassing Kylian Mbappé's 13. Yamal's contributions highlighted Barcelona's reliance on young talent amid their inconsistent starts.
Flick praises mentality
Manager Hansi Flick lauded his team's attitude post-match: "To answer this is not easy. For one side, I’m really happy how we come back. It shows a lot of our attitude and our mentality." He added, "But sometimes it would also be good to start well and score the first goal!" This marked Barcelona's fourth consecutive comeback win and seventh overall this season, underscoring their resilience under Flick's aggressive style, though conceding first remains a persistent issue.
The result provides momentum ahead of La Liga clashes with Osasuna and Villarreal, and a Copa del Rey tie against Guadalajara.
