Jules Koundé delivered one of his most outstanding matches since joining Barcelona, after playing a starring role in the 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League, according to the Spanish newspaper "Sport." The French defender transformed from a player who faced criticism recently to an unexpected hero, leading a decisive comeback for his team.

The German team started the match strongly and took the lead with a goal by Knauf after 20 minutes, but in the second half, Koundé completely changed the game by scoring two consecutive headers within three minutes, earning Barcelona three valuable points in the league stage and restoring hope of finishing the round within the top eight without needing to play a qualification playoff.

The newspaper mentioned that Koundé delivered a surprising offensive performance, scoring the first brace of his professional career. The first goal came from a model run from the second line following a precise cross from Marcus Rashford, while the second goal came after a curved ball from Lamine Yamal, with the Frenchman repeating the scenario of Lionel Messi's goal in the 2009 Champions League final against Manchester United.

In his post-match comments, Koundé laughed and said the second goal was not completely intentional, while Hans Flick praised his performance, confirming that he is a very important player for the team with his mentality.

The newspaper added that the French defender sought to complete a hat-trick from subsequent set-pieces, in a night reminiscent of his strong performances last season, whether with three assists against Red Star or his decisive goal in the King’s Cup final against Real Madrid.

Koundé was awarded the Man of the Match prize, which the newspaper considered an important step in regaining his confidence after a shaky start this season, especially following his own goal against Chelsea and some matches where he was not successful against Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Brugge, and Sevilla.

The report confirms that the season is still long and that Koundé’s level last season was exceptional, as he emerged as one of the best right-backs in Europe, contributing four goals and eight assists before his injury at the end of the season.