Paris (AFP)
The handballers of Montpellier lost on the field of the Hungarians of Veszprem, vice-champions of Europe last year, and winners Sunday 24 to 23 during the penultimate day of the group stage of the Champions League .
With this defeat, the players of Patrice Canayer give up all hope of finishing in second place in their group, ensured at Veszprem, and which allows to receive the return match of the eighth and the return match of the possible quarter-final.
Already qualified for the 8th, they retreat to 4th place before facing next week the Vardar Skopje (Saturday, 5.30pm), in an attempt to seek 3rd place in the group.
On a negative dynamic in the French championship with four consecutive defeats (one in December and three in February after the international break), the Héraultais once again showed a different face in the Champions League.
Even when Veszprem, stronghold of European men's handball, escaped the score (8-5 in the 11th minute, 15-12 in the 24th, 23-20 in the 53rd), Valentin Porte's teammates have always found the resources not to let the Hungarians escape the score.
In the last 20 minutes, when they had several balls to stick up, the Héraultais stumbled on the Spanish doorman Arpad Sterbik, one of the very best in the world at his post, and logically elected player of the meeting (14 stops on 27 shots).
MHB Croatian goalkeeper Marin Sego also kept his team in the game thanks to another good performance (14 saves), however insufficient.
The rapid bullets were badly negotiated in the middle of the second period and in attack, the Montpellier lacked solutions to shake the red Hungarian wall in front of them. The ten minutes without scoring a goal in the middle of the second period were fatal.
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