The Biggest Rivalry in English Football

Between them they have a total of 121 titles; including 38 English 1st division titles and 8 European Cup (Champions League) honours. I am talking about the two most successful and the most famous teams of English Football: Manchester United and Liverpool.

The sheer number of trophies won by the two teams; Manchester United with 62 titles (20 English 1st Division and 3 Champions League) and Liverpool with 59 honors (18 League titles and 5 Champions League crowns) bears testimony that when these two behemoths face each other on the football pitch it has to be the grandest fixture of English football. The rivalry which dates back to 1894 when Manchester United was still known as Newton Heath,has developed gradually and till today 188 official matches have been played between the two teams. In the all-time head-to-head record between the eternal foes, despite today’s 1-0 defeat, Manchester United have the upper hand, with 74 wins as opposed to Liverpool’s 63 with 51 draws.

In terms of on-field glamour, the fixture doesn’t always produce the brilliance that we associate with the El Classico (Real Madrid v/s Barcelona) or the crowd trouble and tensions associated with the Turkish derby (Fenerbahce v/s Galatasaray) and the Rome Derby (AS Roma v/s Lazio). It is a more passionate affair among the fans of both the clubs mainly, as both the clubs have huge fan following in every nook and corner of the globe.

When Liverpool and Manchester United collide on the same pitch it is much more than just a game of football, the rivalry of the two clubs also represents two English cities with different ideologies. While Manchester is known as the manufacturing hub of England, Liverpool is famous for its ship ports.

Liverpool v/s Manchester United is what has made the Premier League the global success it is today. Fans from Johannesburg to Beijing, Sydney to Rio de Janeiro, no matter what time zone they belong to, all huddle around the television passionately rooting for their respective teams.