Montpellier breeze past Le Puy-en-Velay in friendly romp

Montpellier made light work of their lower-league visitors under the summer sun, dominating large stretches of a friendly encounter that never truly threatened to get away from them. The home crowd sensed early on that this would be a comfortable afternoon, and the team's attacking play quickly validated those expectations.

Youssouf Issoufou broke the deadlock in the 28th minute to set Montpellier on their way. The visitors showed brief resistance when they equalised from the penalty spot just before the break, but Tarik Chennahi restored the home side's advantage with the last kick of the first half. That proved to be the turning point, with Montpellier in complete control after the interval.

The away side pulled one back through an unmarked finish in the 65th minute to briefly threaten a comeback, yet their hopes never materialised against a side far superior in pace and execution. Montpellier added two further goals late on, with strikes in the 73rd minute and 90th minute putting the result beyond any doubt.

The victory serves as an ideal preparation for Montpellier as the new season approaches, with their clinical finishing and commanding display against Le Puy-en-Velay offering plenty of encouragement heading into competitive action. For the visitors, this fixture proved a stern examination of their abilities at this level, though such encounters provide valuable experience for teams stepping up in ambition.