Three things you might have missed from Barcelona 2-1 Eintracht Frankfurt | OneFootball

Barcelona’s long-awaited Champions League return to the Spotify Camp Nou finally arrived, more than three years after their last home fixture in the competition. 

Eintracht Frankfurt came to Barcelona with confidence, but the night ended with the Catalans celebrating a comeback inspired by an unlikely matchwinner – Jules Kounde.

Beyond the result and Kounde’s brace, the evening delivered a series of storylines that defined the drama of Barça’s Champions League return. 

The anthem was, as expected, drowned in whistles, but several other moments around the stadium added layers to an already charged night. 

Here, we revisit three incidents from the clash that many supporters may have missed.

A heartfelt reception for Marc-Andre ter Stegen

Before the match kicked off, one of the biggest ovations of the night belonged not to a goalscorer nor to a rising star, but to a goalkeeper who has been sidelined for months. 

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen was applauded by the Barcelona fans. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

Marc-Andre ter Stegen made his return to the squad after recovering from his back surgery, and Barça fans showed just how much they had missed him.

As he stepped onto the pitch to warm up alongside Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny, the Camp Nou crowd rose to its feet, greeting him with a loud and emotional ovation. 

Minutes later, when the stadium announcer read his name, the applause resurfaced with the same intensity. 

It was a moment that briefly swept away the lingering tension from the summer, when disagreements between the club and the German goalkeeper had created unwanted noise.

The context surrounding his future, however, remains uncertain, as Hansi Flick has made his hierarchy clear, insisting that Joan Garcia is his first choice. 

With the World Cup approaching, Ter Stegen now faces a tough decision. 

Frankfurt supporters stir chaos once again

Barça learned their lesson from 2022, when the Camp Nou was infamously overrun by Eintracht Frankfurt fans. 

This time, the club worked vigorously to ensure there would not be a repeat. Even so, UEFA guidelines required Barcelona to allocate 5% of stadium capacity to the away supporters, who were placed in the upper tier of the stadium.

Their behaviour quickly soured the atmosphere. Provocative chants of “P**a Barça” echoed from the away end, but the situation escalated dangerously when glasses, bottles and even flares were thrown toward home supporters. 

Shockingly, police intervention took far too long, allowing tensions to rise unnecessarily. 

Several of the protective screens placed between the fan zones were broken during the chaos, and security personnel were forced to remove some German fans who had infiltrated Barça-only areas.

A captain without the armband

If one Barça player continues to grow in stature this season, it is Eric Garcia. Deployed once again in midfield alongside Pedri, the defender delivered another highly intelligent performance. 

His composure resonated in the stands, where fans repeatedly chanted his name after key interventions.

Though he does not wear the armband officially, many already view him as a future captain. 

In fact, during a tense moment in the match, he acted like one. When Eintracht fans launched flares toward the home crowd, it was Garcia who immediately ran to the referee to alert him and push for the game to be stopped. 

His reaction reflected both responsibility and courage, qualities that fans increasingly associate with him.