Montpellier signed its fifth victory, for a draw and already five defeats.
The Héraultais have 11 points and are nine points behind PSG (20), seven-time defending champion and undisputed Starligue leader, who will travel to Limoges on Sunday afternoon (2:50 p.m.).
The MHB gains a place in the standings, moving up to 8th place, but is left behind by Nantes and Aix (17 each).
He no longer has the right to make mistakes after this difficult start to the championship, if he wants to keep a chance to take one of the first two places at the end of the season (30 days), synonymous with qualification in C1 to L fall 2022.
Unrecognizable in the Starligue, Valentin Porte's teammates finally showed on the national stage the same face as in the Champions League, where they achieved an almost perfect course (six wins, one draw and one defeat).
In this derby, the MHB made the difference in the heart of the second half, thanks to a solid defense and a few welcome saves from Croatian goalkeeper Marin Sego, like his stop on a 7-meter throw in the last three minutes to kill all suspense (31-27, 58th).
"I don't know if we played well, if it was a good handball match. I just want to win, regain victory in the league, in a derby. We thought we were almost playing our season tonight on sixty minutes. We were able to find the resources, "commented Valentin Porte at the microphone of beIN Sports.
Patrice Canayer's men will host Zagreb on Wednesday in the Champions League and will continue with a trip to Toulouse in the Starligue, to confirm the start of recovery in the French league.
© 2021 AFP