The 5 Most Intense Derbies in Europe This Season

The aim of every team in a soccer match is to win. However, some wins are more important than others. Nothing compares with the excitement that football fans derive from watching their teams exert dominance over their rival clubs in a local derby.

Counting back from over a century ago, the sport has witnessed a lot of intense rivalries develop between various clubs. When two rival clubs from the same city face each other in a football game, this is called a derby match.

A derby match is not an ordinary match. It is a special type of match that is not just about claiming three points, but also about fame, prestige, ego, and supremacy.

It is a match that decides which club would rule the city until the next meeting. This is why it is highly prioritized.

We have seen several fierce derby matches in the past. Typical examples include the likes of the Old Firm derby, the Eternal Derby, The Intercontinental Derby (Turkish: Kıtalararası Derbi) and the Derby of eternal rivals in Greece.

These games have proved to be all out war affairs between the teams concerned, with the victors claiming the bragging rights.

This season has also featured a lot of intense derby matches. The English Premier League, the La Liga, Seria A, Bundesliga and the Ligue 1 have all entertained us with interesting clashes this season.

So, we take a look at the five most-intense derbies so far in the campaign:

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#5 Tottenham vs Arsenal (North London derby) - 10/02/2018

The North London derby was a great joy to watch

Rivalry is a prominent phenomenon in football and it occurs across several cities in Europe. It is true that wherever there are two or more successful clubs, rivalry is inevitable. That is exactly what has been the case in the Northern region of London for a very long time.

Arsenal FC and Tottenham Hotspur are the two most successful clubs in north London. Their bid to dominate each other and control the city has created a hot battle between them. This is why any match between these two sides is always fierce and very competitive.

They met on two different occasions this season. However, their most intense clash came up on the 10th of February 2018. After enjoying a 2-0 victory in the first leg of their Premier League games this term, Arsene Wenger's men traveled to the Wembley stadium for the return fixture.

As usual, the match proved to be an intense contest between the two sides. Their fans were also involved, with a lot of banners flying all over the stadium. It was hard-fought and no team was able to see the back of the net in the first half.

However, Harry Kane broke the deadlock and put The Spurs ahead with a fantastic header in the 49th minute. Davies was afforded space to the left of the area to send in a brilliant cross, and Kane rose higher than everyone to power a nice header into the bottom-left corner.

Even though the Gunners pushed for an equalizer late in the second half, they were not able to break the stubborn defence of their rival club. Therefore, the match ended 1-0, with the home side claiming the prestige.

#4 Inter Milan vs AC Milan (the Milan Derby) - 15/10/17

Mauro Icardi scored a fantastic hat-trick in the Milan derby

In the Northern region of Italy stands a beautiful city. Located at a nexus of the traffic routes of the Po River Valley, Milan has a population of 3,277,524 inhabitants.

The city is well known for many things, including the love of the beautiful game. It is the home of many soccer fans and the people are connected by the emotions and excitement that football brings.

But despite the fact that these people are united by their passion for the sport, they are totally divided when it comes to the loyalty they have for their various clubs.

This is very prominent if you look at the recent matches between the two biggest clubs in the city - Inter Milan, and AC Milan.

These are rival clubs in the same city and their fans are enemies to each other. The two sides clashed on the 15th of October 2017 and it is one of the most intense derby matches we have witnessed this season.

The game started with great intensity, with both teams playing aggressively. Inter Milan dominated the possession and created a high number of chances relative to their possession.

The Nerazzurri attacked fiercely from both flanks and were strong at their finishing. Their efforts were rewarded with a nice goal as Mauro Icardi completed a brilliant finish after receiving a perfect cross from Antonio Candreva in the 28th minute.

They maintained their early lead till the end of the first half

The second half began with so much anxiety. AC Milan fought back and showed great attitude.

The Rossoneri attacked severely, directing a number of shots towards the goal and threatened their opponents from set-pieces.

They penetrated through the middle and got an equaliser in the 56th minute as Suso converted a perfect long-range effort.

A Mauro Icardi's volley and an own goal from Handanovic ensured that the match was levelled up till the 90th minute.

However, Inter Milan were awarded a controversial penalty in the closing stages as Rodriguez brought down Inter substitute, Eder in the box.

Icardi stepped forward and beat Gianluigi Donnarumma with a perfect effort to complete his heroic hat-trick in the match and helped Inter attain the bragging rights with a score of 3-2.

After the game, some AC Milan fans seized the internet to criticize the referee's decision to award a late penalty.

This raised a lot of angry reactions from their rival fans and a heated debate arose online. It was such a memorable night!

#3 Espanyol vs FC Barcelona (Catalan Derby) - 04/02/2018

The Catalan derby was full of a lot of controversies, with Gerrard Pique at the heart of everything

This season, not many derbies have lived up to their expectations like the Catalan derby. Barcelona and Espanyol faced each other in one of the most heated games of the season.

Before this particular fixture, the two sides had already met in the Copa Del Rey where the Blaugrana narrowly triumphed over their city rivals.

In the build-up to the game, several controversial reports were in the air. Barcelona superstar, Gerard Pique had already labelled the Periquitos as "Espanyol de Cornella" after edging past them in the Copa Del Rey.

In return, the club reported the Spaniard to the RFEF alongside his teammate, Sergio Busquets for their hands in the saga.

Moreover, it was reported that fans of the two clubs had chanted a lot of abuses on each other during the recent match.

All these developments ensured that both teams were prepared for a hot derby. The match, which came up on the 4th of February, 2018 lived up to its expectations.

It was one of the most intense matches of the campaign, due to the relevance, rivalry, controversies and situations that surrounded it.

It took place under an unfriendly atmosphere, and a thunderous rain ensured that it was a tough affair for both sides.

Barcelona initially rested their talisman, Lionel Messi in this important fixture, giving their rivals some advantage as they would not be thinking about the threat that the Argentine poses.

The game began with so much pressure, as both teams fought hard to claim the bragging rights for their respective fans.

Barcelona dominated most of the first half, with new signing Philippe Coutinho coming close to break the deadlock in the 22nd minute, as his powerful shot narrowly missed the post and hit the crossbar.

Espanyol later went ahead in the second half through a Gerard Moreno header in the 66th minute.

The waterlogged pitch remained a nightmare for Barcelona, making it very tough for the Catalans to play their decent passes.

However, the club responded brilliantly as Gerard Pique scored a perfect header to secure a 1-1 draw at the RCDE stadium.

After his goal, the Barcelona defender went mad and jubilated wildly in front of the Espanyol fans.

The chants, insults, and reactions that followed his celebrations prolonged the unhealthy relationship between these two clubs.

#2 Dortmund vs Schalke 04 (Ruhr Derby) - 25/11/2017

The Ruhr derby is one of the most interesting matches of the season

Dortmund welcomed their city rivals to the Signal Iduna Park for the Ruhr derby on the 25th of November, 2017.

The game started in an unusual way, with The BVB exerting great dominance on their rivals and scoring a couple of unbelievable early goals.In one of the most interesting games in Europe this season, Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 played a dramatic derby match at the Signal Iduna Park.

The two teams have been playing tough matches for a very long time but this one got more interesting.

They went ahead in the 12th minute, as Pierre Emerick Aubameyang converted a beautiful cross from Christian Pulisic to grant the hosts a brilliant advantage.

Their lead became doubled when Schalke 04 superstar, Stambouli scored a humiliating own goal in the 18th minute.

It didn't take long before Dortmund added a third goal as Mario Gotze scored an amazing header for his side before Raphaël Guerreiro's incredible volley concluded a very brilliant first half for The BVB.

Looking at the scoreline, it looked as if the game was already buried. But Schalke 04 had other plans, starting the second half with great attitude and determination.

Soon, Burgstaller pulled one back with a decent header and Amine Harit scored another after four minutes to bring his team back into the game.

In the 72nd minute, Aubameyang was sent off from the game after picking up a pair of yellow cards.

Schalke 04 got their third goal of the match when Daniel Caligiuri's left-footed effort crashed into the roof of the net before the super defender, Naldo Rodrigues met Max Meyer's corner and sent a header past Roman Weidenfeller, to upset the home fans and send the visiting supporters into elated delirium.

It was a big shock to many. No one expected it to happen, but Schalke 04 put in a great effort to deny their city rivals at the Signal Iduna Park and attain a 4-4 draw. What a match!

#1 Manchester City vs Manchester United (The Manchester Derby) - 07/04/2018

Paul Pogba was the hero as Manchester United clinched an important victory at the Etihad

Manchester United and Manchester City are the biggest clubs in the city of Manchester, therefore, a bitter rivalry exists between them.

These two great Premier League sides faced each other in a thrilling encounter that will be remembered for a long time.

The Red Devils have had a nice season, sitting comfortably in the second position of the table.

Man City, on the other hand, have been quite unmatchable in the division since the beginning of the campaign.

They have been at a superior level, with their impressive performances granting them a convenient lead on top of the table.

The Citizens came into this match in need of only one victory to win the Premier League. It was an opportunity for them to deal United a big blow by claiming the title in front of their arch-rivals.

Jose Mourinho's men also had a point to prove as no team would be comfortable with watching their rivals claim the title in their presence.

The game kicked-off at the Etihad Stadium, with Manchester City getting us underway. They dominated the possession and strolled the ball around neatly.

They also got the first goal of the match when Vincent Kompany rose unmarked to power home a brilliant header from Leroy Sane's corner kick in the 25th minute.

Five minutes later, The Citizens doubled their lead. Sterling sent an awesome pass to Ilkay Gundogan, who spurned Ander Herrera and delivered a perfect effort into the bottom corner. At half-time, the scoreline was 2-0.

The Etihad outfit looked destined to win the game and deliver a humiliating experience to their rivals.

The second-half began with more intensity. Manchester United were calm, waiting for the right chance to pounce on their rivals.

That chance came in the 53rd minute when Sanchez found Herrera, who in turn chested the ball down for Paul Pogba to slot home.

This brought United back into the game and within two minutes, they got the equalizer. This time, Sanchez was also involved, finding Pogba in the box with a perfect cross which the midfielder finished perfectly.

The atmosphere changed at the Etihad as United played with extra motivation. Astonishingly, the Red Devils took the lead in the 69th minute when Chris Smalling met a Sanchez deep cross and sent it into the back of the net.

Even though City tried to come back into the game, their rivals were defiant and they managed to gain an important 3-2 victory in the Manchester Derby. It was a stunning match!