Montpellier Handball Defeated by Kiel in Champions League Quarter-Finals: A Disappointing Night for MHB

The Montpellier handball players had a very bad night, on Thursday night, in Kiel, in front of 11,000 spectators. Eliminated 31 to 21, in the quarter-finals in the second round of the European Champions League by the legendary Germans Kiel, which they still beat with 9 points in the first leg. A big disappointment for the MHB.

Qualification for the semi-finals was decided by one point. Missed shots from Montpellier and a very strong and motivated German goalkeeper.

This may be the first and last time you have an opportunity like this in your career. You have a 9-goal lead… (long silence) You can say it’s Kiel… We’re not pushing enough. It is difficult for the team, the group deserves better.

Yanis Lenne, Montpellier HB right winger.

At the club since 1994, Patrice Canayer ends his career in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, sent out on Thursday night, 31 to 21, by the Germans from Kiel.

Nine goals ahead. But Montpellier lost its big lead from the first leg (39-30). The performance in Hérault had nevertheless opened the way to the Final Four for the end of the 30-year era of Patrice Canayer, his iconic coach.

What is unusual is that he scored so few goals tonight. I think we played with the handbrake, out of fear. And when fear grips a few players in a team, it’s hard to play at your best. It’s a learning experience for this team, I hope it serves them well in the future and allows them to grow.

Patrice Canayer, coach of Montpellier HB.

The Germans from Kiel, four European champions as they are, had never conceded more than five goals in their rich European history.

This epilogue is hard to imagine. Last shot from MHB’s Brazilian defender, Bryan Monte, to try to equalize and grab a penalty shot. Except that the latter, like many others, found the goalkeeper of the German club Tomas Mrkva (12 saves, 41%), more prominent than the other goalkeeper, the French Samir Bellahcene.

The Héraultais, double winners of this competition (2003 and 2018), encountered the worst problems in terms of scoring, only one goal in the last quarter of an hour, against “Zèbras” who did not retire as result of raid.

We knew it was going to be complicated but we weren’t diligent and focused on the details and here we can’t forgive you!

Karl Konan, left back Montpellier HB.

Those last fifteen minutes, too feverish, were fatal for Valentin Porte’s gang (4 goals on 6 shots). The winger Lucas Pellas, who missed two penalties, put an end to the amazing situation with his temporary closure for protest (25-20, 47th).

As a turning point, during these numerical numbers Bryan Monte lost one of his duels (1 goal in 6 shots) against Mgrkva allowing pivot Hendrik Pekeler to score in the empty goal (27-20, 49th) .

In the process, the young Brazilian (21 years old) saw one of his passes intercepted and converted (29-21, 52nd) and winger Yanis Lenne (4/6) left his lower teammates for a shot in the face from Mrkva (56th). ). The long-term absence this season of Ahmed Hesham and Kyllian Villeminot at the back ended up paying off.

In a scoring problem in a set attack, the MHB can regret the missed penalties (3 in total) which led to the“Catching”. An unexpected rise in the language of the country where handball was born.

Damage!