Finn Russell kicked five penalties for Glasgow

Outstanding defence from the Warriors laid the foundations for their second win from two games in the new European Rugby Champions Cup.

Three Russell penalties to Benoit Paillaugue's two saw the Warriors go into the interval with a 9-6 lead.

Although the French side pressed in the second period, two further three-pointers from the Warriors' stand-off gave them a crucial victory in Pool 4.

The home team were awarded a penalty try in the 80th minute which secured a losing bonus-point, but it was the visitors that went away with a superb victory.

These sides endured contrasting fortunes in round one of the competition. While Glasgow thrashed Bath 37-10 at Scotstoun, Montpellier succumbed 30-23 to Toulouse and it was Gregor Townsend's men who brought the confidence from that win into this encounter.

A pair of Russell penalties deservedly took the Warriors into a 6-0 lead before the hosts finally got a foothold in the match through Paillaugue's three-pointer.

However, Glasgow continued to be the more threatening with ball in hand and their fly-half's third from the tee restored their six-point advantage.

With the visitors on the front foot in the first 25 minutes, a head knock to Tommy Seymour seemed to disrupt their momentum and the home side reduced the deficit via the boot of their scrum-half as their power game began to take control.

They couldn't level the scores by the interval, as the Warriors went into half-time 9-6 in front, but the hosts opened the second period in command.

Montpellier found the Glasgow rearguard difficult to breach, though, and their profligacy was to prove costly when Mark Bennett made a searing break.

Robert Ebersohn then infringed at the breakdown and was duly sin-binned by referee JP Doyle. Russell added the resultant penalty and kicked another soon after as they moved 15-6 clear with 16 minutes to go.

Montpellier tried to get themselves back into the contest but Townsend's team displayed outstanding maturity to hold on for victory, despite a penalty try securing the French outfit a losing bonus-point.