FLICK AND DECO AGREE: NICO SCHLOTTERBECK IS BARCA’S LEFT-FOOTED CENTER-BACK TARGET
Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck is set to leave next summer after rejecting a massive contract extension, seeking immediate titles. Barcelona, with Flick's approval, is ready to bid €45M for the German centre-back.
It seems FC Barcelona is looking for a new left-footed centre-back this summer.
With Inigo Martinez gone, the team wants to bring in someone new to bolster their defence before the season starts.
Two names that have come up are Nico Schlotterbeck from Borussia Dortmund and Goncalo Inacio from Sporting CP. Both players will have only one year left on their contracts this summer.
Schlotterbeck might leave Dortmund.
According to BILD, Borussia Dortmund has been trying to renew Schlotterbeck’s contract for months, but it hasn’t worked out. It looks like he’ll probably leave.
The club offered him a better deal, increasing his salary from €2.5 million to €8 million with bonuses, to extend his contract past 2027. But they haven’t made any progress in talks.
Schlotterbeck, a German international and a well-regarded left-footed centre-back, feels he’s at a point where he wants to play for a team that can win titles right away.
If he doesn’t renew his contract, Dortmund will have to sell him next summer to avoid losing him for nothing the following year. So, it looks like he’ll be leaving in 2026.
Barcelona is paying attention.
Schlotterbeck’s people like the idea of him staying in Germany, with Bayern Munich as a possible choice. But they’re also considering a move to another country.
That’s where Barcelona comes in. Deco and Hansi Flick both like him and think he fits what the club is looking for in a top-level left-footed centre-back for next season.
The report says Dortmund values him at around €45 million, but the price could go down. If they decide to sell, they’d rather send him to a club outside of Germany instead of helping a rival like Bayern.
While Goncalo Inacio is another option for Barcelona, Schlotterbeck might be a better fit because of his skills, experience, and maturity.
If Barcelona’s financial situation gets better, they might even try to sign someone in January. For now, it seems Schlotterbeck is likely to leave Dortmund in 2026, and Barcelona is interested.
NOU CAMP ROARS: JULES KOUNDE DOUBLE COMPLETES BARCELONA COMEBACK VS FRANKFURT
Jules Kounde was the hero, scoring two goals in four minutes to power Barcelona's 2-1 Champions League comeback win against Eintracht Frankfurt at the Nou Camp.
Jules Kounde scored twice as Barcelona came back from a goal down to beat Eintracht Frankfurt in their first Champions League game at the Nou Camp in over three years.
Frankfurt took the lead in the 21st minute when Ansgar Knauff got on the end of Nathaniel Brown's pass, fended off Alejandro Balde, and put the ball past Joan Garcia.
Marcus Rashford, who came on as a substitute at halftime, had a quick impact, crossing from the left for Kounde to head in at the 50th minute.
The France defender scored again three minutes later, connecting with Lamine Yamal's pass when he was open six yards out.
This win puts Barcelona, who have won the Champions League five times, at 10 points from six games. With two games left, they're still in the running for a top-eight spot, which would send them straight to the last 16, skipping the playoff round.
Hansi Flick's team plays Slavia Prague on January 21 and finishes their group stage at home against Copenhagen a week later.
Eintracht Frankfurt, who are seventh in the German Bundesliga, are in danger of being knocked out of European competition with only four points from their first six games.
This was Barcelona's fourth game at the Nou Camp since it reopened last month after renovations.
The last Champions League match at the stadium was in October 2022, when they lost 3-0 to Bayern Munich. In February 2023, they played in the Europa League.
The Nou Camp started its £1.1 billion renovation in June 2023 to modernise the stadium and increase its capacity to 105,000, which would make it one of the biggest in the world.
After playing most of the last two seasons at the Estadi Olimpic, which hosted the 1992 Olympics, the Nou Camp reopened with a reduced capacity of 45,401. Work is still being done on the top tier and the roof.
Flick's team has now won all four of their matches back at their home ground.
Frankfurt, who have struggled in their league and lost 6-0 to RB Leipzig on Saturday, scored first and had chances to score a second. However, Ellyes Skhiri and Fares Chaibi both shot over the bar.
Kounde's two goals in four minutes turned the game around for Barcelona, who had lost 3-0 to Chelsea in their previous Champions League match.
The only bad news for Barcelona was a second-half yellow card for Yamal after a foul on Brown. This means he'll miss the trip to Prague.
JOAN GARCIA'S UCL MISSION: CAN BARCELONA END EIGHT-GAME CLEAN SHEET DROUGHT
FC Barcelona faces Eintracht Frankfurt, needing a win to keep UCL top-eight hopes alive. Goalkeeper Joan Garcia returns, tasked with ending an 8-game clean sheet streak.
FC Barcelona is back in the Champions League on Tuesday night, facing Eintracht Frankfurt in their sixth group stage game of the 2025/26 season.
After five games, Barcelona is in 18th place with two wins, two losses, and a draw. To finish in the top eight, they need some luck.
But first, Barcelona has to win all their remaining games, starting with the one against Eintracht as the first priority.
Joan Garcia faces a tough test.
It won't be easy, as Barcelona's Champions League form, especially on defense, hasn't been great.
Goalie Joan Garcia will face a tough test in Tuesday's game against Eintracht Frankfurt, according to AS.
Hansi Flick’s Barça hasn't kept a clean sheet in their last eight Champions League games, letting in goals each time.
Since April 9, when Barça beat Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in the first leg of last season's quarter-finals, they haven't kept a clean sheet in Europe. They've played eight straight games without stopping the other team from scoring.
This started with the second-leg loss in Dortmund (3-1), followed by the semi-finals against Inter (3-3 and 4-3). This season, it continued against Newcastle United (1-2), PSG (1-2), Olympiacos (6-1), Club Brugge (4-4), and Chelsea (3-0).
Garcia was hurt in the Real Betis game and had to leave the field.
Still, the 24-year-old goalie practiced as normal today before the Eintracht Frankfurt game at Camp Nou. He's recovered and ready to play.
Garcia, who already has four clean sheets in La Liga this season, now wants one in the Champions League to end Barcelona's eight-game streak without one.