Selestat Alsace Handball — Montpellier: 30:38, Starligue

Montpellier secured a 38-30 victory over Zélétal Alsace in the Starligue on Thursday evening. The result leaves both sides level on four points after three matches, though the visitors sit fourth while the hosts remain seventh. By then, the gap between them was more about position than points.

Montpellier's away win extends their unbeaten run, which now includes a draw and two victories. Zélétal's single loss from their opening three games came earlier, but this result adds to their concerns. They were reduced to chasing, and the visitors had the game won inside twenty minutes.

We had called the away win in our preview, with 69 per cent confidence. It is not something to trumpet, but the calculation held: Montpellier's recent form suggested they could handle the pressure. They worked a short corner in the opening exchanges and never looked back, while Zélétal gave up the ball and hit them on the break too often.

The two sides enter the next round with identical point totals, yet the standings tell a different story. Fourth place carries weight when the table starts to take shape. Zélétal will want to tighten things up before their next fixture, as they cannot afford to let the game flow the way it did tonight.