Derby, Derby

After the midweek blockbusters of the Champions League and the Europa League, it is time to turn our attention to the domestic leagues as some very high profile matches are scheduled this weekend. In the French Ligue 1, it is the most awaited encounter of the year between the French Champions Paris St. Germain and fellow nouveau riche AS Monaco which may go a long way to decide who would win the Ligue 1 title this season. In the German Bundesliga, Bayern Munich travels to last season’s fourth placed Schalke 04 on Saturday in what is touted as the first real test for Pep Guardiola’s team to display their title credentials in the Bundesliga this season. But the talking points of this weekend are obviously the two high profile derbies, Manchester City v/s Manchester United and AS Roma v/s Lazio.

New managers in the dugout but the same old story. This will be the first Manchester derby since October 1986 without Alex Fergusson overseeing Manchester United. Back then, the derby was a mid-table clash, but Sunday’s game will be influential affair and a win could prove crucial for Manuel Pellegrini or David Moyes. Manchester City and Manchester United have both endured stuttering starts to the Premier League season, with a loss and a draw each in their opening four matches. United were beaten away at high-flying Liverpool while City slipped up against newly-promoted Cardiff. So this game becomes even more important not in regards to final league positions but for psychological victory for the new managers and their teams.

The Manchester derby was first contested in 1881. Till date there have been 165 competitive meetings between the teams with Manchester United having won 69 and Manchester City 46 and the remaining 50 games finishing as draws. Between themselves they have won overall 77 titles although Manchester United won a majority 62 out of them.

When we talk about football derbies, there are a very few which can match the Derby della Capitale between Roma and Lazio. There is no doubt that any city rivalry in the world is as bitter as the one in Rome. The rest of the season could go down the toilet, but as long as the derby goes the right way, all is forgiven. Drama, excitement, action, suspense, you will get everything in this hotly contested match. The derby has been historically marked by massive crowds, violent clashes between the two set of supporters. This derby is much more than just a game and symbolises an unseen division that exists within the city. The devout regionalism is one of the reasons that make the derby more heated, as the fans view it as a battle between two clubs fighting for the right to represent the city in the rest of the country and local bragging rights. The Roman derby has been the scene of several actions related to the political views of the fan bases. Lazio’s ultras often use swastikas and fascist symbols on their banners and they have displayed racist behaviour in several occasions during the derbies.

The first game, won by Roma, was held on December 8, 1929 and the rivalry quickly grew between the teams. Till date 172 matches have been played between the two teams with Roma having the upper hand with 63 wins compared to Lazio’s 48 wins whereas 61 matches have ended in stalemate.