Playing against your bitter rival and winning is a matter of pride in football. There are numerous rivalries that have developed in the course of history. Each country has its own local derby that attracts fans from all over the country as it is marked as the most important game of the year.
Players come and go but the rivalry remains. The new players that arrive are fully aware of this and have to show their best during this match.
Today we analyze the most famous soccer derbies from around the world. If you are interested, you can also redeem your bet365 nj bonus code beforehand.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid (El Clasico)
The biggest derby in Spanish football is between the biggest clubs in the country – Barcelona and Real Madrid. But these two clubs are not just the strongest in Spain, they are some of the best in the world. Both clubs have seen international success and are the most popular clubs in the country.
Winning El Clasico is a matter of pride for the players on the team. However, besides football, the sides are not fond of each other due to political issues and rivalry between the two cities.
Inter Milan vs AC Milan (Derby della Madonnina)
Even though neither Inter nor Milan are not the football powerhouses in Italy as they once were, the match between them is highly important. The two city rivals have been bitter enemies since the inception of the clubs. In the past, they also had political rivals in their owners, namely Silvio Berlusconi and Massimo Moratti.
The derby always takes place at the legendary San Siro stadium, which the side share, and there has been more fighting than football in the past during this match. It has been known to cause a lot of incidents.
Liverpool vs Manchester United (The North West Derby)
Even though Manchester United has its own city rivals in the form of Manchester City, the true English rivalry is that between United and Liverpool. This one goes way back as the two clubs are regarded as some of the most successful clubs in the Premier League and Europe. Both sides have a large base of supporters that mainly want their team to win this derby.
Manchester is somewhat in the lead in terms of wins among each other, but Liverpool has been gaining ground with its recent success.
Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund (Der Klassiker)
There is no greater match in German football than that between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. The two sides are the clubs with the most titles in the country and historically the best clubs. Matches between these sides are hotly contested and usually help determine the title.
Probably the most recent derby between the two saw them compete for the Champions League title. We all know how that went down but the sides keep on battling each other as it seems that there aren't other sides that could compete for the Bundesliga title any time soon.
Celtic vs Rangers (The Old Firm Derby)
Probably the most violent derby on the list is that between Celtic and Rangers, the two giants of Scottish football. Scotland may not have a lot of famous clubs but they do have one of the oldest derbies between two football sides to take place.
Both teams come from the same town but from different religious backgrounds and social statuses. Both the players and the fans engage in fierce battles during this match and often than not we see injured players and riots between fans happening during this game.