Barcelona ended Montpellier's unbeaten run with a 27:28 victory in the Champions League on 17 September 2026. The hosts had started the campaign with a win and a draw, sitting second on two points after two matches. The visitors arrived with a flawless record of two wins from two, already top of the table on four points.
And here's the thing about the way things went — the prediction had favoured a home win at 57 per cent. That assessment didn't hold up, and the match itself showed why. Montpellier's recent results suggested consistency, with wins over Dinamo Bucharest and Charleville, but the evening belonged to the visitors.
By then Barcelona had already demonstrated their capability with a 48:32 victory over La Rioja in their most recent outing. The 27:28 scoreline didn't blow them away, but it was enough to maintain their perfect start. Montpellier's previous defeat to PSG, 20:21, looked like a warning sign that perhaps hadn't been heeded.
The result shifts the standings slightly. Barcelona remain first with four points from two games, while Montpellier drop to second place on two points after a win and a draw. The gap between them is now two points, and the visitors have shown they can compete away from home.
There's no need to call this a spectacle. The scoreline tells you what happened — Barcelona took all three points and extended their unbeaten sequence. Montpellier will look at the 27:28 result and wonder where the momentum went after their earlier successes.