This Thursday evening, during the third day of the Champions League competition, two French handball clubs, Nantes and Montpellier, suffered defeats. Nantes lost to Melsungen with a score of 23-28, while Montpellier fell to Aarhus with a score of 32-36. This marked a difficult evening for French teams in the tournament. Earlier in the week, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) had secured a 46-35 victory over Celje, but the other two French teams in the competition did not replicate that success on Thursday. Nantes had started the season on a strong note in European competition, but this match marked their first loss of the season. The defeat was largely attributed to Melsungen's goalkeeper, Nebojsa Simic, who made 17 saves during the match. Florian Drosten, a player for Melsungen, scored 6 goals, contributing significantly to their victory. For Nantes, Nicolas Tournat also managed 6 goals, but it wasn't enough to keep the team undefeated after previous wins against Wisla Plock and Vardar. Montpellier's situation is becoming more complicated. With only four points from three matches, they are currently tied with Aarhus and the Macedonian team in their group. The team, coached by Grégory Cojean, is expected to respond during their next match against Melsungen on October 14. However, they also experienced a defeat on Thursday, following a narrow loss to FC Barcelona (27-28) earlier in the week. In their match against Aarhus, the opposing goalkeeper, Magnus Kjaersgaard Petersen, made 20 saves, which proved decisive in Aarhus's 36-32 victory. With just two points after three days in the Champions League, Montpellier is struggling to find their rhythm. The Champions League evening was tough for both French clubs involved. Nantes and Montpellier both left the court with losses, following matches in which the French teams had maintained hope for a while before ultimately conceding in the final moments. For Nantes, the loss to Melsungen marked their first European defeat of the season, despite a strong second half performance. Nantes was held back by Simic's impressive saves, but after halftime, the team managed to take the lead. However, a late 6-0 run by Melsungen sealed the defeat. With four points, Nantes remains in contention in a tightly contested Group B. Montpellier's defeat in Denmark was a disappointment. Expected to dominate Aarhus, the team instead fell to a 36-32 loss, marking their second consecutive defeat after the earlier loss to Barcelona. Montpellier struggled in the first period, with 17 missed shots, and despite several comebacks, they were unable to take control. Drevy Paschal, a key player for Montpellier, scored 6 goals, but it wasn't enough. Aarhus secured their first-ever Champions League victory in history, ending the match with a strong performance.