Photo: Mark Sheffield, CC BY-SA 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Some matches are worth three points. A derby is worth much more than that — it is worth a whole city's pride. Here is what makes these games different from all the others.
What is a derby?
A derby is a match between two clubs from the same city or the same local area. The fans often live on the same streets, work in the same offices, and sometimes support opposite teams inside the same family.
Famous English derbies
The North London Derby — Arsenal vs Tottenham — splits one end of London in two. The Manchester Derby pits City against United, blue against red. The Merseyside Derby, Liverpool vs Everton, is one of the oldest in England, played between two stadiums that stand within walking distance of each other.
Derbies exist everywhere football is played: Glasgow's Celtic vs Rangers, Milan's Inter vs AC Milan, and Buenos Aires' Boca Juniors vs River Plate are among the most intense atmospheres in world sport.
Why derby day feels different
Form means nothing. A team at the bottom of the table can beat the league leaders on derby day, because the emotion of the occasion lifts everyone. The noise is louder, the tackles are harder, and the result is talked about until the next meeting — sometimes for years.
For neutral fans, that is exactly the appeal: a derby is the one match where you are guaranteed drama before a ball is even kicked.
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