Paris (AFP)
Montpellier won 27-25 in the Belarussian side of the Meshkov Brest on Saturday during the second day of the Champions League handball, after being long led to score.
Last season the MHB, then reigning European champion, started with a defeat against Vardar (27-23), then another on the floor of Meshkov Brest (26-23). The Héraultais had finally been eliminated from the hens.
This year, the players of Patrice Canayer put an end to this scenario from the 2nd day by imposing with difficulty the sextuple holder of the Belarussian title.
After the victory on the wire in the French Championship against Chambéry on Wednesday, Montpellier has had to again hurt and stay focused until the end of the match to hope for a first success this year in the Champions League.
Defeated at home on the first day against Vardar Skopje, the next European opponents of Montpellier will be the Hungarians of Veszprem, September 29, finalist unhappy last edition.
Saturday, the meeting began with a cross-country, before the Belarusians are offered a mini-break (8-6, 15th), helped by two exclusions from the Montpellier pivot Frederic Pettersson (15th, 28th).
In front of the break (13-12), Brest has long been the lead in the second period, sometimes leading even 3 goals.
But the locals squandered the lead, allowing Melvyn Richardson, MHB's top scorer with 7 goals, and his team-mates to catch up, before taking the lead (21-22, 53rd).
Marin Sego participated in the celebration by signing decisive stops in the final minutes of the match (59th), extinguishing all hope for the Belarusians to get their first points this year in the Champions League.
© 2019 AFP