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 LAPORTA TO CALL BARCELONA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS ON FEBRUARY 9TH OFFICIALLY
President Laporta is "excited and energised" for the March elections. See his comments on Real Madrid’s controversial win here.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta didn’t hold back after Real Madrid’s recent win over Rayo Vallecano, taking aim at the refereeing and calling out what he sees as double standards. He’s also moving ahead with plans for Barcelona’s next elections, which he says will be called next week.
Real Madrid edged out Rayo 2-1 with a dramatic 100th-minute penalty from Kylian Mbappe. The match dragged on with nine minutes of added time, something that left Rayo fans fuming. To make matters worse for them, Pathe Ciss and Pep Chavarria both got sent off. Ciss later admitted his red card was fair, but frustration still lingered over how the game played out.
Laporta zeroed in on Real Madrid TV, accusing them of hypocrisy. While Madrid had their own penalty shouts turned down, Rayo’s players complained about how easily Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Brahim Diaz hit the turf. Talking to Diario AS, Laporta didn’t mince words.
“I watched the Real Madrid-Rayo game, and honestly, I have no idea where those nine or ten minutes of extra time came from. Some players are getting really good at diving in the box, pretending to get fouled. That should be a yellow card. Rayo Vallecano got the short end of the stick.”
He pointed out how Real Madrid TV usually goes after referees hard, especially when Madrid thinks they’ve been wronged. But after this match? Silence.
“We’re dealing with a club that has a TV channel always claiming the referees are out to get them. Now, when things go their way, what do they have to say? Nothing? Have they even looked at what happened? They need to get their act together.”
Laporta said he isn’t against mistakes happening—sometimes calls even go in Barcelona’s favour—but he wants to see more balance.
“These things happen, but when it keeps going one way, it’s a problem. Hopefully, it gets fixed, because some situations are just too obvious. I’m saying this constructively. Mistakes can help us, too, sometimes.”
Switching gears, Laporta confirmed Barcelona will hold elections in mid-March, and he’s running again. He’ll dissolve the board next Monday so the election process can begin, with a temporary board stepping in.
“We’ll publish the call for elections on February 9th. As the rules say, some board members will need to resign to run, and we’ll take care of that at our meeting on Monday.”
Laporta sounded upbeat about his chances for another term, even with challengers lining up.
“I’m excited and full of energy. It’ll be a model process, with lots of participation, with every candidate putting their ideas forward. That’s how it should be.”
MARCUS RASHFORD’S SECRET: WHY FLICK VALUES THE MAN UTD LOANEE OVER LA MASIA STARS
Dro Fernandez signs for PSG until 2030! Joan Laporta slams the move as Hansi Flick urges La Masia kids to emulate Marcus Rashford.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta didn’t hold back—he called Dro Fernandez’s departure “unpleasant”. All this happened just as Hansi Flick pointed to Marcus Rashford’s drive as exactly what Barcelona’s young players should aim for.
Fernandez, just 18, forced his way out with a transfer request and ended up at Paris Saint-Germain. He apparently triggered his own £5.1 million release clause to make it happen this month.
He joined Barcelona at 14 and made his Champions League debut last October, even setting up a goal when Barca thrashed Olympiacos 6-1. Now he’s signed with PSG through 2030.
Flick, clearly frustrated, tried to keep his cool when asked about the situation before the deal was done. “Sometimes you just have to accept it. They're 18, they can make their own choices, and they’ve got people advising them,” he said.
He started to say more, then cut himself off: “Of course, when I see like... no, no, I don’t want to talk anymore; it’s enough.”
Flick had much kinder words for Rashford, who’s on loan from Manchester United and hoping for a permanent move. “Marcus has been fantastic so far. We need to manage things, but Deco, our sporting director, will handle next season,” Flick said. “We’ve got time. Marcus is top level, and I really value his commitment—he wants to be here.”
He didn’t miss the chance to send a message to the club’s young players: “This is what I want to say to La Masia’s kids. We’re Barça, one of the best clubs in the world. We give you the chance to train and grow with the best. If you want to play here, you need to give everything—100%. These colours, you have to live for them. If you’re not all in, I’m not interested.”
Laporta, still clearly annoyed, spoke again after the deal: “We’ll talk when everything’s finalised. It’s been an unpleasant situation,” he told Catalunya Radio. “We’ll resolve it as planned, but honestly, it was a shock. We’d already agreed on a new deal with Dro when he turned 18, then suddenly his agent said he couldn’t go through with it.”
After the move, Fernandez explained his choice: “I’m very happy and proud to join Paris Saint-Germain. This is a huge moment for my family. PSG is a massive club I’ve followed since I was a kid, where legends have made history. I’m excited and ready to give everything for this shirt.”