Jules Kounde’s brace of headers rescued Barcelona on Tuesday, securing a vital 2-1 comeback victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League. Playing their first European fixture at the partially reopened Camp Nou in over three years, the hosts fell behind early but rallied in the second half to keep their hopes of a top-eight finish alive.
Barcelona initially struggled to break down a resolute defense, with Robert Lewandowski seeing an early ninth-minute strike ruled out for offside. Eintracht Frankfurt capitalized on the reprieve in the 21st minute when Nathaniel Brown’s pass found Ansgar Knauff, who outmuscled Alejandro Balde to slot the ball past goalkeeper Joan Garcia.
The visitors nearly doubled their lead just before the break, but Ellyes Skhiri curled an effort narrowly wide. The defensive vulnerabilities of a Barcelona side that has now conceded in nine consecutive Champions League matches was out in the picture.
Trailing at the interval, Flick introduced Marcus Rashford to add width, a tactical adjustment that paid immediate dividends. In the 50th minute, Rashford delivered a precise cross from the left for Kounde to head home the equalizer. Just three minutes later, the French defender struck again, rising above his marker in a crowded box to convert a delivery from Lamine Yamal.
"It was important to have Marcus on the pitch, he gives us the width," Flick explained regarding the substitution. "It took two set pieces to come back, but it's good."
The victory required patience against a Frankfurt side determined to defend deep. "They have made it difficult for us... Lamine Yamal had two or three players on him all the time," midfielder Pedri told Movistar Plus. "We made some adjustments at halftime, put more players up front and it worked out."
Rashford, reflecting on his impact, added, "The most important thing was to win... they scored at an unexpected time but we reacted well and managed to get the goals without changing too much."
Despite the win, teenage star Lamine Yamal will miss the upcoming match against Slavia Prague on January 21 after picking up a suspension-triggering yellow card. He appeared visibly frustrated when substituted late in the game, a reaction Flick downplayed with humor during his post-match comments.
"Next time, he sits on the bench. It's not a problem for me," the manager joked. "He gets the yellow card, five minutes to go, we have to make a change... I understand. I was a player. Maybe I didn't show it like Lamine, but he's another player, another level, so I accept it."
