Champions League: Barça, Liverpool, Atleti win; Bayern beat Sporting to tighten hold

Barcelona: Two headers from Jules Kounde lifted Barcelona to a 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, securing a vital Champions League victory at home.

The win leaves Barcelona 13th in the 36-team league phase, still with work to do to ensure a top-eight finish, but with two winnable games to play in the new year.

Ansgar Knauff put Eintracht ahead in the 21st minute against the run of play when he finished off a counter-attack in a half where Barcelona had most of the ball, with Pedri looking to control the play.

Kounde headed Barcelona level in the 50th minute after a fine cross from Marcus Rashford after the England forward had come on as a halftime substitute.

Kounde scored another header three minutes later, nodding in Lamine Yamal's high cross.

In Bergamo, Reece James set up Joao Pedro to open the scoring for Chelsea at Atalanta, but Gianluca Scamacca was allowed a free header to equalize 10 minutes into the second half, and the Chelsea defense stood off when Charles De Ketelaere fired in Atalanta's winner with seven minutes left.

Atletico Madrid came back from a goal down to win 3-2 against PSV, who opened the scoring thanks to Guus Til's 10th-minute goal.

Alexander Sorloth teed up Julian Alvarez for the equalizer in the 37th minute, before David Hancko pounced on a rebound after Matej Kovar pushed out Nahuel Molina's long-range effort in the 52nd, with Sorloth then adding a third four minutes later.

Ricardo Pepi pulled a goal back at the far post in the 85th minute and Armando Obispo missed a golden chance from close range in the final minutes as Atletico claimed a vital 3-2 win.

A four-minute VAR review was needed to rule out Ibrahima Konate's first-half header for Liverpool against Inter Milan for handball, but the officials later favored the Premier League champions, awarding a penalty with five minutes left. Dominik Szoboszlai converted from the spot to seal a 1-0 victory for a Liverpool side that had traveled without Mohamed Salah, after the Egyptian had voiced his unhappiness at the club following the weekend's draw with Leeds.

Tottenham cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win over Slavia Prague, with David Zima turning the ball into his own net after 26 minutes and Mohammed Kudus doubling the lead from the penalty spot in the 50th after a foul on Pedro Porro. Xavi Simons wrapped things up 10 minutes from time, converting another penalty after being brought down.

Mason Greenwood starred as Marseille recovered from going behind to beat Union Saint-Gilloise 3-2. Anan Khalaili put the hosts ahead, but Igor Paixao equalised after 15 minutes and Greenwood struck in the 41st and 58th minutes to swing the match. Khalaili scored again to keep Union in contention, and Kevin Mac Allister saw a late effort ruled out for offside as Marseille held on.

Bayern Munich rallied from Joshua Kimmich's own goal to beat Sporting CP 3-1 at home, with Serge Gnabry and Lennart Karl scoring within four minutes to turn the game around before Jonathan Tah sealed the win 13 minutes from time.

Folarin Balogun bundled home from a corner to score the only goal as Monaco won 1-0 at home to Galatasaray, while Gelson Martins was on target in a 1-0 win at Kairat as Olympiakos kept their slim qualification hopes alive.

Bayern Munich came from behind to secure a 3-1 victory over Sporting CP, with teenage forward Lennart Karl at the heart of the recovery.

Despite striking the woodwork and wasting several promising openings, Bayern went in at the interval without reward.

The match briefly shifted after the restart. Sporting struck against the run of play on 54 minutes when Joao Simoes surged down the flank and his low cross deflected off Joshua Kimmich and beyond Neuer, though Bayern drew level ten minutes later when Gnabry steered home from a corner.

The momentum swung decisively four minutes later, as Karl showcased his composure and technique by finishing cleanly from an acute angle to put Bayern ahead.

The Bundesliga leader asserted full control thereafter and sealed the outcome in the closing stages as Gnabry's cushioned header found Jonathan Tah, who bundled home from close range.

The result leaves Bayern second in the league-phase standings with 15 points from six matches, level with leader Arsenal but trailing on goal difference. Sporting slips to ninth on 10 points, remaining in contention for the knockout rounds but under growing pressure ahead of the final fixtures. Agencies

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