Jules Kounde’s towering brace turned a tense night Barcelona’s way, lifting the Catalans to a 2-1 comeback win over Eintracht Frankfurt and shoring up their UEFA Champions League league-phase campaign.
The French defender headed in twice within three second-half minutes at Montjuic, rescuing Barcelona after Ansgar Knauff’s 21st-minute strike had put Eintracht ahead against the run of play. The victory nudges Barcelona to 13th in the 36-team league table—still short of the top-eight cutoff for direct passage to the round of 16, but with two winnable fixtures to come in the new year.
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Barcelona controlled long stretches before the break, with Pedri orchestrating possession, yet it was Eintracht who landed the first blow on a sudden counter. The hosts reset after halftime, and the introduction of Marcus Rashford proved immediate: the England forward delivered a superb 50th-minute cross that Kounde met with power to level. Three minutes later, 17-year-old Lamine Yamal arced a high delivery to the back post, where Kounde climbed again to nod the winner.
Beyond Barcelona’s revival, a combative matchday across Europe delivered late twists, VAR interventions and high-stakes slips for contenders navigating the league phase’s unforgiving table.
- Atalanta 2, Chelsea 1: In Bergamo, Reece James supplied Joao Pedro to put Chelsea ahead, but the visitors’ lead eroded after the interval. Gianluca Scamacca was left unmarked to head Atalanta level 10 minutes into the second half, and with seven minutes to play Charles De Ketelaere punished passive defending by lashing in the winner from the edge of the box.
- Atletico Madrid 3, PSV 2: Atletico came from behind after Guus Til’s 10th-minute opener for PSV. Alexander Sorloth squared for Julian Alvarez to equalize in the 37th, then a rebound fell for David Hancko to make it 2-1 in the 52nd after Matej Kovar spilled Nahuel Molina’s long-range hit. Sorloth added a third four minutes later. Ricardo Pepi’s 85th-minute far-post finish set up a frantic finale, and Armando Obispo spurned a late close-range chance as Atletico clung on.
- Inter Milan 0, Liverpool 1: A four-minute VAR check cut short Ibrahima Konate’s first-half header for handball, but the officials tilted Liverpool’s way late. With five minutes left, the Premier League champions earned a penalty that Dominik Szoboszlai converted, securing a gritty away win even without Mohamed Salah, who stayed home after voicing displeasure over the weekend’s draw with Leeds.
- Tottenham 3, Slavia Prague 0: Tottenham turned control into comfort. David Zima’s own goal on 26 minutes set the tone before Mohammed Kudus doubled the lead from the spot in the 50th after a foul on Pedro Porro. Xavi Simons closed it out 10 minutes from time with a second penalty after being brought down in the box.
- Union Saint-Gilloise 2, Marseille 3: Mason Greenwood starred in Marseille’s comeback on a volatile night. Anan Khalaili opened for the hosts before Igor Paixao leveled after 15 minutes. Greenwood struck in the 41st and 58th to swing the match, and although Khalaili pulled one back, a late Kevin Mac Allister finish was chalked off for offside as Marseille held firm.
- Bayern Munich 3, Sporting CP 1: An early own goal from Joshua Kimmich put Bayern on the back foot, but the response was swift. Serge Gnabry and Lennart Karl scored within four minutes to flip the game before Jonathan Tah’s composed finish 13 minutes from time sealed the points at the Allianz.
- Monaco 1, Galatasaray 0: Folarin Balogun bundled home from a corner for the game’s only goal as Monaco edged a tight contest on the Côte d’Azur.
- Kairat 0, Olympiakos 1: Gelson Martins found the winner on the road to keep Olympiakos’ slim qualification hopes alive.
Barcelona’s win will soothe nerves but not settle them. Under the new format, consistency matters more than ever—every result moves a crowded middle of the table. Kounde’s drought-busting headers and the spark provided by Rashford and Yamal offer tangible positives for a side that had dominated without incision for much of the season’s biggest nights.
Elsewhere, the picture remains fluid. Atalanta’s late charge complicates Chelsea’s path. Atletico’s resilience bolsters their push for seeding. Liverpool’s edge at San Siro, secured from the spot, underscores a hardened streak amid squad turbulence. Tottenham looked businesslike in dispatching Slavia, while Marseille’s newfound cutting edge kept them firmly in the chase. Bayern’s recovery spoke to depth and control; Monaco and Olympiakos kept the flame flickering for their campaigns.
As the calendar turns, the league phase will sharpen into a sprint: the top eight go straight through, while the next 16 face a playoff. For Barcelona and a clutch of blue-chip contenders, nights like these—ground out by set pieces, substitutions and thin margins—may define how far they’ll still be playing come spring.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
