Glasgow secured a European Champions Cup double over Racing 92 with an impressive 23-7 victory over last year’s runners-up at Scotstoun.

Tries from Josh Strauss, Fraser Brown and Ali Price sent Glasgow top of Pool 1 with their third win in four matches, although they knew Munster would return to the summit on Saturday if they maintain their perfect record against Leicester.

The French champions could not live with the tempo and variety of Glasgow’s attacking play and were 23 points behind after 46 minutes before they began to have any kind of forward momentum.

Even then Warriors withstood the serious physical challenge and some desperate defending maintained their clean sheet until the 79th minute.

The Glasgow head coach, Gregor Townsend, said: “It’s a huge achievement, says a lot about our players and their ability, and not just in attack and defence, the set-piece and the intelligence of their decisions. It’s a great statement to say to our players, to say to people in Scottish rugby, that we can take on the best and beat them.

“We just have to take that on in the next two games. We looked at four or five wins as a necessity to get out the group. We have got three now, we have two games to go, which will be very tough.”

The visitors, who were stunned by the shock retirement of their 24-year-old full-back Johan Goosen earlier on Friday, were much changed following their 23-14 defeat by Glasgow in Paris last weekend while the Warriors made only one enforced switch. Simone Favaro dropped out with a shoulder injury and Strauss came in at No8 for his 100th Warriors appearance.

Racing saw a good early opening foiled by a forward pass but it proved the last time they had the ball in the Glasgow 22 for almost 40 minutes.

Warriors quickly got on top and Finn Russell’s kick sparked an attack that the visitors could not stop. Tommy Seymour took the ball on and fed Stuart Hogg whose inside pass allowed Strauss to cross in the fifth minute.

Russell soon burst through several players but did not play the pass when he had his chance. However, Glasgow did not have to wait long for their second try and it was Russell who was the creator again, releasing Brown to force himself over inside 13 minutes. Russell this time added the conversion and Glasgow continued their onslaught.

Racing held out against some sustained pressure close to the try line, with Hogg stopped a metre out, but Glasgow had a penalty waiting for them and Russell extended the lead to 15 points.

Russell notched another easy penalty after the visiting scrum collapsed while Racing were denied a stoppage-time try when Seymour held up Brice Dulin right in the corner after Dan Carter’s kick threatened to give the visitors a scarcely deserved score.

Warriors continued their domination after the interval and Price crossed after a clever dummy gave the scrum-half the chance to squeeze between two opponents. Racing finally found their attacking game and the Warriors conceded with 60 seconds left when Xavier Chauveau went over near the corner.

It leaves last season’s runners-up in effect out of the competition on a desperate day when Goosen, voted the Top 14’s player of the year last season after helping Racing to the title, revealed a change of career.

A statement from the Racing president Jacky Lorenzetti read: “Johan Goosen, whose contract was largely re-evaluated less than a year ago, now claims to be able to get rid of it in a fantastic manner.

“We would like to add that Racing 92 have always largely supported Johan Goosen both morally and financially, even though he has unfortunately demonstrated lately a certain lack of responsibility towards his partners, his coaches and more broadly of all the members of his club and his supporters.

“Hopefully he will quickly realise that respect for a contract, like that of the given word, is the basis of all human and professional relationships.”

The statement suggested legal action would follow, concluding: “Of course, the club reserve the right to give such conduct all appropriate judicial follow-up, both with regard to Johan Goosen and those who advise him.”