Jules Kounde serves up Champions League masterclass for Barcelona

The 5-2 win over Red Star Belgrade – or Crvena zvezda to give them their proper name – might well have been expected before the game, and, as it turned out, was a routine win for Barcelona.

With half an hour gone and with the scores at one apiece, however, things might have turned out different on another night.

Hansi Flick’s Barca are made of sterner stuff mind you, and another solid second-half showing was enough to ease the Blaugranes away from their hosts.

Three more points place the Catalans in a healthy six position, just three points behind leaders Liverpool, at the half-way stage.

Their five-goal salvo also now means Barca are the highest scorers in this season’s competition.

Much of their prowess in front of goal on Wednesday night was down to the excellence of Jules Kounde in the right-back position.

A role, lest we forget, that isn’t the Frenchman’s natural one, and one that Kounde himself didn’t appear too keen to take up at the beginning of the campaign.

When you consider that Ronald Araujo was never going to return until well into 2024/25, Kounde had the perfect opportunity to make the centre-back role his own, and were it not for the emergence of Pau Cubarsi, as well as the return to form of Inigo Martinez, Kounde might’ve got his way.

Now, however, it seems he’s cemented the right side of defence as his domain, as the quality of his performance once again showed.

Three assists in one game is just about as good as it gets for a defender, and each was played with pinpoint accuracy.

Every time Kounde got in behind his opposite number there was a genuine chance for Barca to extend their lead, such was his excellence in possession.

He’s got a very long way to go to be considered in the same breath as the best right-backs that have served the club well over the years, but his contribution certainly deserves to be recognised.

Kounde was as good in his primary role as he was in his supplementary one – where he’s the perfect foil for Lamine Yamal down that right-hand channel.

If he’s able to remain free of serious injury, Kounde’s importance and influence on this squad will continue to be seen across the remainder of the season.

Yet another player that Hansi Flick has managed to improve…