Montpellier HSC and Valenciennes have played out an entertaining goalless draw on Saturday evening in Ligue 1, which keeps the visitors in the bottom three.
Although Valenciennes started brightly, the first chance fell to the home team after seven minutes. Anthony Mounier poked goalwards from an angle from Benjamin Stambouli's corner, but he could not beat away goalkeeper Magno Macedo Novaes.
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Montpellier were well on top of proceedings and Novaes was tested again on 18 minutes as M'Baye Niang's powerful strike was tipped over the bar for a corner.
Just before the half-hour mark Montpellier came inches away from scoring. Stambouli struck from an angle following a corner routine but crashed his effort against the woodwork.
After all their missed chances Montpellier could have been behind on 65 minutes, but Tongo Hamed Doumbia's glanced header went just wide of the far post.
The home side continued to have potshots with Souleymane Camara attempting a couple, but they were unable to break the deadlock and had to settle for a point.
Matt Domm
