By CNN
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Salma Paralluelo’s second-half brace ensured defending champion Barcelona avoided a Champions League upset against Eintracht Frankfurt, as the Catalan club came from behind to secure a 3-1 victory.
Laura Freigang’s header gave Frankfurt a surprise lead just before half-time, but Paralluelo – one of Spain’s Women’s World Cup heroes – drew Barça level just three minutes into the second half after she turned in Ona Batlle’s low cross.
Mariona Caldentey then gave the Blaugrana the lead on the hour mark before the 20-year-old Paralluelo secured the three points with her second just minutes later.
“I’m happy above all for being able to help the team,” Paralluelo said after the match. “It was a complicated pitch, it wasn’t pretty. It was tough for us in the first half, but I’m happy that we got the result.
“We had to change our attitude and the intensity out of the pitch, we knew we could give more. We had to come out with that intensity to show we wanted to come back and score a goal quickly.”
After brushing Benfica aside 5-0 in its opening group stage match, this was widely expected to be another comfortable victory for Barça. But the team was frustrated by some resolute Frankfurt defending in the first half, before Freigang’s goal against the run of play.
Despite the defeat, Frankfurt’s goalscorer was pleased with her team’s performance, even though she was left to lament the defending that allowed Barcelona to score three goals in quick succession.
“We conceded three goals right away, which was a bit unlucky,” she said. “I think we had a couple chances still, but at 3-1, they just kept the ball, and it’s really hard to get it off them.
“Our press didn’t really work anymore. Against the best team in the world, that’s not a surprise, but I think we played well today.
“The group is still very open and we want to fight for at least second place, so that’s what we’re going to do.”
Barcelona, which has recorded 11 wins from 11 matches so far this season, tops Group A on six points, with Frankfurt in second place.
Benfica’s 1-0 victory over FC Rosengård on Wednesday puts the Portuguese club in third.
