BARCELONA TARGETS LAUTARO MARTíNEZ: IS HE LEWANDOWSKI'S TRUE SUCCESSOR
Inter's Martínez is a "key target" for Barcelona. We analyse if the prolific forward can thrive outside of a two-striker system to replace the veteran Lewandowski.
Reports say Barcelona is looking at Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez. This move could answer a question mark that has been hanging over his head for the last seven years while he has been in Serie A. But is he the right fit?
The Barcelona board is now thinking about who will take over for Robert Lewandowski. They know he is a great centre-forward, proven by his record of 109 goals in 163 matches for the team, but this will not last forever. The Polish striker is 37, and his goal numbers are still high this season, but it feels like it is only a matter of time before he starts to decline.
To prepare for that time, Barcelona wants a striker who is about 10–15 years younger. One option they like is Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez, but it will be hard to get him from their LaLiga rivals.
So, Barcelona is looking at more players, and sources say that Martinez of Inter Milan is another ‘key target.’
Martinez is 28 years old and has scored 163 goals in 352 appearances for Inter, plus 10 goals in 17 games this season. He has a track record.
But if Barcelona begins to think about whether they want Martinez, there is something they need to think about before going all in.
During his seven and a half years with Inter, Martinez has almost always played in a formation with two strikers.
This is rare these days, but Inter has had success with a 3-5-2 shape under coaches like Antonio Conte and Simone Inzaghi.
But if Martinez wants to take his success and move it to a system that depends on one centre forward, can he be the main guy?
Martinez’s time with Inter makes you start asking questions.
At first, he assisted striker Mauro Icardi. Then, for the next few years, he played off Romelu Lukaku. After that, he was combined with Edin Dzeko, and his striker partner is now Marcus Thuram.
Martinez has always partnered with a bigger striker who acts as the focal point. Yes, sometimes he has scored more goals than them—he was Inter’s top scorer for three seasons in a row from 2021 to 2024—but would he have scored as much without a target man next to him?
At Barcelona, wingers like Raphinha and Lamine Yamal would create chances for him. But on paper, he does not have the same skills as Lewandowski.
That does not mean he cannot play as a lone striker. He just has not had the chance to try to do it for Inter because their tactics are working. He has sometimes done it for Argentina, and he has scored on some of those occasions, but doing it on a regular basis at the club level might be another thing.
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.