Defender Jules Kounde scored two times as Barcelona fought again from a purpose down to overcome Eintracht Frankfurt – in Barca’s first Champions League recreation on the Nou Camp in additional than 3 years.

The guests went forward within the twenty first minute when Ansgar Knauff raced directly to Nathaniel Brown’s move, held off Alejandro Balde and slotted the ball previous Joan Garcia.

England ahead Marcus Rashford, on as a half-time exchange, made an quick have an effect on as his move from the left used to be headed in through Kounde within the fiftieth minute.

The France defender scored his moment 3 mins later, this time connecting with Lamine Yamal’s supply when unmarked six yards out.

The approach takes five-time European champions Barca on to ten issues from their six suits and, with two video games to move, nonetheless in competition to say a top-eight position that may see them bounce immediately into the remaining 16 and steer clear of the play-off spherical.

Hansi Flick’s facet play at Slavia Prague on 21 January and finish their league section marketing campaign at house to Copenhagen every week later.

Meanwhile, Eintracht Frankfurt, 7th within the German Bundesliga, are in severe threat of being eradicated from European pageant as they simply have 4 issues from their opening six suits.

Home comforts for Barca

For Barcelona, this used to be their fourth recreation on the Nou Camp because it reopened remaining month after redevelopment paintings.

The membership remaining performed a Champions League fit there in October 2022 after they misplaced 3-0 to Bayern Munich, even supposing they did then play within the Europa League in February 2023.

Work started at the Nou Camp in June 2023 at a price of about £1.1bn, to modernise the stadium and enlarge its capability to 105,000, making it one of the vital greatest grounds on the earth.

After they spent the previous two seasons taking part in in large part on the Estadi Olimpic, which hosted the 1992 Olympics, the Nou Camp reopened with a discounted capability of 45,401, with paintings nonetheless to be finished at the height tier and the roof.

And Flick’s facet have now received all 4 in their suits again at their conventional house.

Rashford, on a season-long mortgage from Manchester United, mentioned taking part in within the Champions League on the Nou Camp used to be an “superb enjoy”, and added: “I’m playing it very a lot and taking a look ahead to taking part in up to I will be able to.

“We’re able the place it used to be necessary we were given the issues, so this can be a excellent day, and now we leisure and take a look at to fortify.

“The maximum necessary factor used to be to win, and I’m more than happy we controlled to try this. I believed we performed moderately smartly and regulated the sport. They scored at an surprising time, however we reacted smartly and controlled to get the objectives with out converting an excessive amount of.”

Frankfurt have struggled locally and had been crushed 6-0 through RB Leipzig on Saturday, however opened the scoring and had opportunities to double their lead, just for Ellyes Skhiri and Fares Chaibi to shoot over.

However, two objectives from Kounde in 4 mins reworked the fit for a Barcelona facet that had misplaced 3-0 at Chelsea of their earlier Champions League tie.

The simplest damaging for Barcelona used to be a second-half reserving for Yamal following a nasty on Brown, and that implies the teenage ahead will likely be suspended for the shuttle to Prague.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made through Readers and Contributors in this platform don’t essentially constitute the perspectives or coverage of Multimedia Group Limited.