The French powerhouse Montpellier HB had an easy evening at home tonight as the inexperienced Besiktas’ team could not keep up with their opponents in a 24-goal victory which saw the hosts barely break sweat.

Montpellier’s coach Patrice Canayer used the opportunity to give every player in his squad court time and they repaid him with some great moves, while Besiktas will have to improve rapidly to make an impact in Europe this season.

GROUP C

Montpellier HB (FRA) vs Besiktas Aygaz (TUR) 40:16 (23:7)

• The French side go-ahead 2-1 in the overall meeting record, with the two teams meeting twice before, in the EHF Champions League 2017/18 season which resulted in away wins for both
• Hugo Descat had a great first half for the French team, scoring six, while Besiktas could only manage seven strikes in the opening 30 minutes
• Goalkeeper Marin Sego ended with an impressive 65% save ratio for this hosts, with his teammate Kevin Bonnefol finishing on 55%
• Julien Bos scored five in the second half for Montpellier
• Third defeat for Besiktas this season

Raining goals

It looked like a training session for Montpellier. Almost every attempt ended with a goal and you could forgive coach Patrice Canayer for having one eye on next week’s clash against fellow joint table-toppers, Swedish side Alingsas HK, during these 60 minutes tonight.

Canayer will be happy to see 12 out of 14 players scoring at least once and seeing his side announce their move to the summit of group C, alongside SC Magdeburg and the Swedes.