Terrible disillusionment for Montpellier. Despite a lead of nine goals acquired in the first leg (39-30) last week, the MHB lost by ten goals (31-21) this Thursday in Kiel during the return match of the quarter-finals of the Champions League . The MHB collapsed in the last ten minutes and will therefore not play in the Final Four of the event, won twice (2003, 2018).
After toughening the match from the first seconds, with even a red card for the Norwegian Peter Overby in the tenth minute, Kiel shifted gears in the second part of the first half to make up half of its deficit at the break (17-12).
The Germans methodically built their match, taking off in the middle of the second period while the MHB had great difficulty in the play placed against the German defense and multiplied the numerical inferiorities (seven two-minute penalties in total).
The MHB silent in the last ten minutes
As the storm blew, winger Yanis Lenne scored Montpellier’s last goal at the edge of the last ten minutes and the trap set by the Wunderino Arena then became more pressing. Czech goalkeeper Tomas Mrkva (12 saves at 41% success rate) pulled out all the stops in the money-time against Marko Panic or Yanis Lenne.
In the seven against six game, Montpellier, deprived of goalkeeper saves (8 in total), took a goal in an empty cage and suffered the lightning of Eric Johansson (8 goals) or Mykola Bilyk (7) . The latter equalized in the two matches (30-21) on a numerical advantage four minutes from the end. And the Swede scored the qualifying goal (31-21) two minutes from time.
The MHB benefited from a final opportunity to equalize by the Brazilian Bryan Monte on a throw-in but Mrkva intervened again, plunging the Kiel Arena into fervor commensurate with the exploit of the champions of Germany. They will return to the Final Four in Cologne (June 8 and 9) with Aalborg (Denmark) and Magdeburg (Germany), while waiting for the last qualifier (FC Barcelona or Paris-SG).
It’s a nightmare for Montpellier and its historic coach Patrice Canayer who dreamed of a second Final Four for his last season at the head of MHB.
