Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid

Real Madrid Club de Futbol

Founded- 1902

Ground- Santiago Bernabeu Stadium

Capacity- 81,044

Head Coach- Carlo Ancelotti

League- La Liga 

Club Atletico de Madrid 

Founded- 1903

Ground- Vicente Calderon Stadium

Capacity- 54,960

Head Coach- Diego Simeone  

League- La Liga

El Derbi Madrileno, in English means the Madrid Derby. The Madrid derby is between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid and is one of the top derby matches in Spain. In sense Real Madrid go in favourites every time they play Atletico due to the club being one of the biggest football clubs in the world. It can also be down to the financial side as Real Madrid can afford the best players out there and most recently in 2013 Real Madrid broke the world transfer record by signing Gareth Bale for £85.3m (100m Euros). This shows how far Real Madrid will go so they can achieve success by adding the world’s best players to win trophies. However Atletico Madrid should never be ruled out on winning a Madrid derby even though they might not have the world’s best players but they certainly play as a team and not individuals as some players in Real Madrid do. Atletico Madrid shocked the world when they won the La Liga in the 2013-2014 beating the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona to the title. This was Atletico Madrid's first league title in 18 years with Diego Simeone leading them to the title and he will be certainly looking to accomplish that again this season. 

The Madrid Derby was the main talking point in the Champions League final on the 24^th May 2014 as Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid squared off in the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon to see who the best team in Europe. Real won the match 4-1 and claimed their 10^th European trophy an achievement known as La Decima. Atletico took the lead when Diego Godin capitalised from an error made from Iker Casillas. Atletico looked like they were going to win the match but 90 seconds from the final whistle Sergio Ramos headed in a late equaliser from a Luka Modric’s corner. Real went into extra time with more momentum and looked certain to grab another goal and that’s exactly what they did when Gareth Bale scored a header from an acute angle to give Real the lead. Marcelo then made it 3-1 towards the end of extra time and Cristiano Ronaldo got the fourth at the very end of the match

The most recent Madrid derby took place on the 7^th February 2015 and was held at Vicente Calderon Stadium. This is one derby game that Real Madrid fans will want to forget as Atletico won the match 4-0 and this was Real Madrid’s heaviest defeat in over four years. From the moment the match started Atletico looked up for it more and this proved to be the case as on the 14^th minute of the game Tiago fired in a low uncomfortable shot that Real Madrid’s keeper Iker Casillas failed to keep out. Four minutes later early substitute Saul Niguez then got Atletico 2-0 up with a spectacular overhead kick that no keeper could save. After half time Real got back into the game with better possession with the ball but this didn't come to much as most of their shots went wide or didn't trouble the keeper. Atletico took advantage of slack defending from Real and Antoine Griezmann came up for the third goal for Atletico on the 67^th minute. Mario Mandzukic got the final goal in the last minutes of the game with a fine diving header. 

The next Madrid derby will take place on the 14th April 2015, with the derby being a Champions League Quarter-Final match the first leg will be held at Vicente Calderon and the return leg on the 22nd April at the Santiago Bernabeu. 

Newcastle United vs Sunderland

Newcastle United Football Club
Founded- 1892
Ground- St. James Park
Capacity- 52,405
Head Coach- John Carver
League- Premier League

Sunderland Association Football Club
Founded- 1879
Ground- Stadium Of Light
Capacity- 49,000
Head Coach- Dick Advocaat
League- Premier League

The Tyne-Wear derby also known as the North-East derby is a match-up between Newcastle United and Sunderland. This North East England derby is an inter-city derby as both cities are ten miles apart.  This derby match in the English Premier League may not be up their like Liverpool vs Everton and Manchester United vs Manchester City but Newcastle and Sunderland have a great rivalry between each other, this is something the fans look forward to as it can really feel like a cup final when the game starts as both sets of fans create a fantastic atmosphere for the game. The game may be for three points in the league or even a place in the next round of a cup competition but the fans know that the winner will earn them local bragging rights in the North East. 

The most recent North East derby took place on the 21^st of December 2014 and it was held at St. James Park home of Newcastle united. The game will want to be forgotten by Newcastle fans as Sunderland won 1-0 and took home all three points. The match itself started like any other derby game as the desire from the players showed from the first minute as this was a huge match for both clubs during the Christmas period.  Newcastle had the most chances during the game as Ayoze Perez came close to scoring twice but Sunderland goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon was saving every shot Newcastle fired at him. Sunderland had a couple of chances on goal themselves through Steven Fletcher as one of his shots hit the post early on in the second half. When the match looked certain for a draw, Sunderland winger Adam Johnson popped up in the 90^th minute to smash the ball past Newcastle goalkeeper Jak Alnwick. Sunderland’s last minute counter attack goal proved to be the match winner.  This was Sunderland’s fourth successive win against Newcastle in Tyne-Wear derby and means Sunderland are unbeaten in the last 6 league games against Newcastle United. 

The next game between Newcastle and Sunderland will take place on the 5^th April 2015. With both clubs still plenty to play for in this match, it will be crucial for taking all three points. Sunderland has recently sacked their manager Gus Poyet and has quickly hired Dick Advocaat on a short term deal. Sunderland are in a relegation battle and hope the appointment of a new manager can shake things up and help Sunderland survive in the Premier League. Newcastle are currently 11^th in the league but look to finish the season in the top ten and a win at the Stadium of Light could defiantly help them achieve this. 

Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur

Arsenal Football Club 

Founded- 1886

Ground- Emirates Stadium 

Capacity- 60,388

Head Coach- Arsene Wenger 

League- Premier League 

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club 

Founded- 1882

Ground- White Hart Lane 

Capacity- 36,240 

Head Coach- Mauricio Pochettino 

League- Premier League 

The North London Derby between Arsenal and Tottenham is one of the best derby matches in the English Premiership. Both clubs are located in London and have a huge fan base worldwide. The atmosphere at the games can be amazing as the fans really show their emotion and passion throughout the match. Arsenal at the moment is the team that is currently on top but Tottenham are always trying to overtake and prove their dominance.  

The first game of the North London Derby in the 14/15 season took place on the 27^th of September 2014, the match was held at the Emirates Stadium. The game finished 1-1 with both sides taking a point from the match. The game itself started like a normal derby with both teams playing at a high tempo and being cautious at the back. The first half showed this as both teams went in level at half time. Tottenham Hotspur broke the deadlock early on in the second half through Nacer Chadli on the 56 minute as he slotted the ball past Wojciech Szczesny. Arsenal responded well as Hugo Lloris was called into action shortly after the goal and the Tottenham goalkeeper pulled off an unbelievable save from Per Mertesacker header. However Arsenal eventually got the equaliser on the 75^th minute through Alex Oxlade- Chamberlin. After the game Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said "I am frustrated because we dropped two points and I am frustrated because we didn't make enough of our set-pieces. You want to be rewarded for the work you put in. Mauricio Pochettino also had his say “I think it is a good result for us. Maybe Arsenal controlled the game and had the ball more than us but we played well and defended well. "We scored a great goal. This is our philosophy, which is difficult to keep for 90 minutes at the moment, but we are on our way."

The most recent North London Derby took place on the 7^th of February 2015, the match was held at White Hart Lane. The game finished 2-1 with Tottenham Hotspur taking all three points. This game started off different from the last time both teams played as it was Arsenal who took an early lead on the 11^th minute through Mesut Ozil as he finished from close-range. Arsenal then sat back after the goal and this resulted in Tottenham dominating the game and creating the most chances. Tottenham eventually got their goal on the 56^th minute through Harry Kane and on the 86^th minute Harry Kane then rose to head the ball past the Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina, this high quality finish proved to be the winner and Tottenham getting the better of their rivals. The two sides won’t meet until the 15/16 season. 

Manchester United vs Manchester City

Manchester United Football Club 
Founded - 1902
Ground - Old Trafford 
Capacity - 75,731
Head Coach - Louis Van Gaal 
League - Premier League 

Manchester City Football Club 
Founded- 1894
Ground - Etihad Stadium 
Capacity - 47,405 
Head Coach - Manuel Pellegrini 
League - Premier League 


The Manchester derby between Manchester United and Manchester City is one of the best derby matches in the English Premier League.With both clubs located in Manchester the city is divided when derby day comes around.The fans help to make this tie extra special as both sets of fans create an thrilling atmosphere for the game. Manchester United have been the most successful club out the two but Manchester City at the moment are proving that they can be best team in Manchester. 

As of 2 November 2014, there have been 168 competitive meetings between the teams. United have won 69 and City 49, the remaining 50 games finishing as draws. The biggest derby victories have been to City who has won 6–1 on two occasions in the official league both times in the away fixture at Old Trafford on 23 January 1926 and 23 October 2011. But on 14 April 1941 during a war league derby match at Maine Rd, United beat City 7–1, which remains the biggest victory between the two sides overall, this result has been omitted as the official league was suspended but the derby still continued. Both teams have won 5–0 once City did it in 1955 and United in 1994. The largest attendance for a Manchester derby was 78,000 on 20 September 1947, a time when both clubs were playing at Maine Road, as Old Trafford was being repaired following damage sustained in the Second.

The most recent Manchester derby took place on the 2^nd of November 2014 and it was held at the Etihad stadium the home of Manchester City. The game finished 1-0 with City taking all three points. The match itself started off at a high tempo with tackles and fouls given early on in the game which resulted in Chris Smalling being given an early yellow card. Towards the end of the first half Chris Smalling again was in trouble as he received his second yellow card followed by the red. With Manchester United down to ten men, the game was there for City to take. With City dominating the possession in the second half it was only a matter of time before they did score. The deadlock was broken by Sergio Aguero on the 64^th minute of the game when Gael Clichy found the Argentine with a low cross and  the striker  thumping the ball past David De Gea. City could have gone on to win the match by four or five goals but Manchester United kept them out. With United only having ten men in the second half they did well to stop a humiliating result.

 The next Manchester derby match will take place on the 12^th of April 2015 with the match being played at Old Trafford. This match will be crucial for both clubs, not only that it is a derby match Manchester United are looking to get in the top four in the league which would mean champions league football. City will also have extra pressure on the match as they look to win the league. With Chelsea at the top of the league at the moment this could be a crucial three points for City.

 

Liverpool vs Everton

Liverpool Football Club
Founded - 1892
Ground - Anfield
Capacity - 45,276
Head Coach - Brendan Rodgers
League - Premier League

Everton Football Club
Founded - 1878
Ground - Goodison Park
Capacity - 39,572
Head Coach - Roberto Martinez
League - Premier League


Liverpool vs Everton or the Merseyside derby  is one of the best derby matches in the English Premier League with both sides located in Liverpool the fans are divided in the city. Both clubs have a huge fan base and the atmosphere at the derby games is electrifying however it might not reach the atmosphere at Celtic vs Rangers matches but the emotion and passion from both sets of fans can encourage their team onto victory.

·         The longest unbeaten derby game run in all matches is 14, held by Everton, this was between the 1941/42 and 1951/52 seasons.

·         The longest unbeaten derby game run in home matches is held by Liverpool when Everton failed to beat them in the League for 14 games between the 1970/71 and 1984/85 seasons, and again, between the 2000/01 and 2013/14 seasons.

·         The longest unbeaten derby game run in away matches is held by Everton with a 16 match run at Anfield between 1899 and 1920 which included 10 victories.

·         The longest unbroken winning run at home belongs to Liverpool with 5 between 1932/33 and 1936/37.

·         The longest unbroken winning run away from home belongs to Everton who scored 7 consecutive victories at Anfield between 1908/09 and 1914/15.

·         Recent games have been marred by sending offs, and the fixture has seen 20 red cards in the Premier League, the highest tally for any fixture (though the 20th of these was subsequently rescinded by the FA). Current club captain Steven Gerrard and former Everton captain  Phil Neville have both seen red twice in derby games.

The following are records just for the City of Liverpool derby itself:

·         The record home victory in a league match is 6–0 recorded by Liverpool at Anfield in the 1935/36 season.

·         The record away victory in a league match is 5–0 recorded by both Everton at Anfield in the 1914/15 season and by Liverpool at Goodison Park in the 1982/83 season.

·         The highest scoring match was in 1932/33 when Liverpool won 7–4 at Anfield

·         Neville Southall of Everton holds the record for most derby appearances.

·         Ian Rush of Liverpool holds the mark for the most derby goals with 25, overtaking Dixie Dean of Everton's long-standing record when he scored two goals in Liverpool's 3–2 win over Everton in the second all - city of Liverpool F.A. Cup Final in 1989.

·         William C. Cuff of Everton holds the record for the most wins as a manager with 16 wins over Liverpool from 1901–18.

·         Tom Watson of Liverpool holds the record for the most losses as a manager with 21 defeats to Everton from 1896–1915.

The first meeting between Liverpool and Everton in the 14/15 season took place on the 27^th of September 2014. At a very early stage of the season the Merseyside derby was held at Anfield. The match finished a 1-1 draw. Everton were going into the game knowing that they haven’t won at Anfield in 15 years and that run still continues. The game itself started at a high tempo with incidents happening early on during the match as tackles were flying in and players getting booked for it. With the players knowing that this was a special game their emotions were running high. Liverpool opened the scoring through Captain Steven Gerrard on the 65^th minute from a curling free kick that Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard could not keep out. The match looked like Liverpool were going to take all three points but in the dying seconds of the match Everton had one last attack from a corner kick which was headed clear but fell to Phil Jagielka who half volleyed the ball right into a back of the net.

The most recent Merseyside derby took on the 7^th of February 2015, at a later stage of the season the game was held at Goodison Park. The match finished 0-0, both derby matches in the 14/15 this season has finished in a draw. The game itself was crucial for both sides as Everton have been in poor form and have seen themselves fallen to the bottom half of the table, whereas Liverpool look to get into the top four in the league which would mean champions league football. The next Merseyside derby will not take place until the 15/16 season which both sets of fans will look forward to.