When Titans meet

Champions league Semi-final is always exciting and that too when teams of such class face each other. After reaching this stage no one wants to bow out of the competition without lifting the old famous trophy but there can be only one winner and now that we are left with just 4 teams it’s really hard to predict who is going to win this year. Lets quickly analyse who has a better chance to be the Champions of Europe this season

Barcelona vs Bayern Munich (May 6, 20:45 CET)

Bayern Munich were able to make a spectacular comeback against Porto in the Champions League Quarter final 2^nd leg but a slip against Barcelona and they can forget about becoming the Champions of Europe once again. Injury crisis hit Bayern once again, firstly Arjen Robben  who is confirmed to have a torn calf muscle which rules him out for the rest of the season, then comes the next blow for Bayern, again in the DFB  pokal semi-finals against Dortmund in which their star striker Robert Lewandoski took a hefty blow to the head and got his nose and jaw fractured, eventually Bayern lost to Dortmund in the penalty shootouts in which they failed to convert even a single spot kick. Though there is a bit of chance that Lewandoski might return to face Barcelona in the first leg of the semi-final. Pep has been facing a lot of criticism recently due to the injuries, losses and their defeat to Bayern Leverkusen, now the tough decision which lies with him is to select the perfect squad that can face the attack of MNS (Messi, Neymar, Suarez) and can also break the defence of Gerard Pique and Mascherano.

Barcelona, it is truly amazing to see how well the players understand each other. If Messi fails to shine Suarez steps up, if Suarez fails then up comes Neymar but what if Neymar fails? Well then they have Xavi or Mathieu who seems to get that goal when their team needs them the most. Barcelona has been impeccable in their current form, they crushed Getafe 6-0  and destroyed Córdoba 8-0 that helps them maintain a 2 point lead against Real Madrid. Barcelona was again spectacular against PSG in the quarter finals where they won 5-1 on aggregate. Needless to say their Key players are Messi, Neymar, Suarez and Xavi.

Clash of styles

Truth be told Pep didn’t single handedly ‘invent’ the short passing style which became known to the world as ‘tiki taka’ but he merely adapted it to a already well established playing tradition which was implemented by John Cryff during his managerial reign at Barcelona in 1988-1996, and which was later continued by fellow dutchman Louis Van Gaal and Rijkaard. Pep however did take that style to the next level by creating a more attacking play by keeping more of possession, but now comes the twist. Since his departure Barcelona has changed and now what Pep will face will be a completely different Barcelona. Under Luis Enrique Barcelona now seems to have Evolved and this will definitely give jeers to Pep’s side.

It’s Revenge they Seek

It’s not just a normal semi-final, it cannot be and it won’t be. Barcelona will be seeking Revenge for the defeat in the Champions league semi-final stage in which they were crushed by Bayern Munich 7-0 on aggregate. But Bayern do hold that potential to defeat Barcelona once again. All they have to do is grab the opportunity when it comes and keep their head straight when they face Barcelona. Beating Porto to reach the semi-finals gives Bayern players enough motivation to face Barcelona and this time it will be the Catalan Giants vs The Germanic Warriors.

Friends Reunite

Once teammate now opposing manager, things do change quickly but will the mentality also change? Well! I guess no, Pep and Luis respect each other greatly and in recent press comments both of them hailed each other for the work they have done. Their friendship was not only limited to playing, but when Guardiola was promoted from Barcelona B team to take over the senior squad his replacement was none other than Luis Enrique and then they worked together for another 3 years, But now is the Champions league semi-final and after Bayern’s poor display in the DFB pokal semi-final loss to Borussia Dortmund, Pep wants to at least win the Champions league trophy, but Luis Enrique will be hoping to do the same by winning the Treble (La liga, Champions league, Copa del Rey) in his first season in-charge.

Really difficult to predict but looking at the form and the injuries of Bayern, Barcelona definitely has the edge in this game, but Pep will play his best team against his former club and we will see how things unfold at the Camp Nou when these titans collide in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals.

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The Big Derby

The Manchester Derby has always been one of the most exciting games of the premier league.  It has always been a mouth watering fixtures when these two clubs who are just 5 miles away from each other go head to head. United had the edge over City for most of the years but now it looks like City always puts up a challenge for United, there has been a total of 168 competitive meets between the teams with Manchester United winning 69 and Manchester City 49 and rest 50 games finishing as a draw. The match will take place on 12^th April 2015 at 15:00(GMT).

Lets have a quick analysis over who has the better edge of winning this derby:-

Form

Manchester United had a very shaky start to the season with their new manager Louis Van Gaal. The Dutchman was questioned by the fans and the media over his philosophy and the team selection, but after the winter break a whole new Manchester United emerged which leapfrogged Manchester City last week. United’s form has been impeccable with 5 consecutive wins whereas City has faced a huge dip in their form and with each game passing by City is struggling to hold their position. City has lost thrice and won twice in their last 5 fixtures. Confidence is definitely going to play a very important role in this match and both United and City players will need to show their class to overcome each other.

Home Advantage

The cheering, the booing and the singing of clubs anthem really gives you the thrill. Though the players should not get affected by this but it does play a very important role, and the atmosphere at The Old Trafford will be at its peak when these two Clubs collide. Both sets of fans can been seen in the stadium and when the club is winning and performing the fans cheer from their heart for the club and that gives the player an adrenaline rush. So home advantage will definitely play a very important role during the match. But then you can even see plenty of Manchester City fans, so lets see who which set of fans cheers the most.

Team Balance

With 7 games remaining it looks like LVG has finally  found his perfect team and the perfect formation playing 4-1-4-1 is definitely suiting the players style and United players are able to create the perfect balance with having much of possession and creating scoring chances from time to time. Manchester City have the best players in the premier and they proved it by winning the league title last season, though City hasn’t had a fixed formation this season but im guessing they will be playing a 4-4-2 formation with their top scorer Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko playing upfront.

Manager’s Confidence

When your manager is confident the team builds up a confidence on its own and in a recent interview LVG warned Manchester City that its time when United retain its top position, such confidence is going to play a vital role. Manuel Pelligrini needs to stay confident despite City’s recent bad performance and he can heat up the things at Old Trafford if City gets the first goal.

Some stats you should know

• Manchester United have lost their last 4 league games against Manchester City.
• Sergio Agüero has scored 4 goals in his last 3 premier league matches against Manchester United.
• The Red Devils have scored 11 goals in their last three home matches against City.
• All four of Edin Dzeko’s goals have been scored at Old Trafford.

As Louis Van Gaal looks for his first Manchester Derby win, Manuel Pellegrini is in desperate need to capture this victory to retain their hope for the top 4 spot. Do watch this exciting fixture, the battle between the two Manchester giants.

Predicted lineup-

Manchester United- David De Gea, Valencia, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Daley Blind, Carrick, Juan Mata,Ander Herrera, Fellaini, Ashley Young, Rooney

Manchester City- Joe Hart,Zabaleta, Vincent Kompany, Martin Demichellis, Kolarov, Yaya Touré, Fernandinho, James Milner, David Silva, Sergio Agüero, Edin Dzeko

These feets also love tapping with music

Having a taste for different music is pretty common among friends. People choose what they want to listen to. From Jazz to Blues, Rock to Metal, Country to Reggae and of course Electronic music. Footballers are no exception. They also love to listen to music whenever they are travelling, or going to parties. Some of the footballers just plug in their earphones before a match to keep themselves stress free. Let’s see what our beloved footballers listen to.

David De Gea (Manchester United)

The goalkeeper is in the form of his life with Manchester United. De Gea in an interview said that he likes listening to rock and metal bands like Metallica, Avenged seven fold, Slipknot etc. He even mentioned that whenever he puts up a song in the dressing room everyone moans. Well whatever the case maybe, now we know why David loves to jump around between the poles, maybe he just forgot to take off his earphones. Kidding! But he is truly one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

Tomás Rosicky (Arsenal)

The Arsenal Player and Czech Republic Captain not only loves listening to Rock music but has also performed on stage with the band Tři sestry in March 2010. Rosicky is also said to be a metal fan when the midfielder confirmed it by creating a downloadable playlist for homeless charity , Centrepoint-Arsenal charity of choice, it included bands like Pantera, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Killswitch engage.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

The 3 times Ballon d’or winner loves listening to Romantic songs and in an interview mentioned that his favourite artist are Elton john, Sade, Phil Collins. Ronaldo also said that he loves listening to Ricky Martin and says that Livin da vida loca is the most catchiest song of Ricky Martin and also is his favourite song. Ronaldo also said that he loves listening to R&B star R.Kelly’s hit “I believe I can fly. So it is clear that after 1999 Ronaldo was just into football and didn’t listen to any other Artists. Again a bad joke!

Marco Reus and Mario Götze (Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich)

You might be asking me why are these two names put up together? Well! They both play for Germany, while Reus is still a Dortmund player, Göetze used to be a Dortmund star and they both love Justin Bieber. Yes! You read it right. They both are fans of Justin Bieber. Göetze said in an interview that he likes listening to Bieber before going on the pitch and a similar music taste is not the only reason why Reus and Götze click together. Reus mentioned that he loves listening to RnB and Hip hop, and his favourite artist are Chris Brown, Drake and Trey Songz.

Xabi Alonso (Bayern Munich)

The Ex Real Madrid and current Bayern Munich midfielder has a really different taste in music and the fact that he is known as “Mr. Cool”, matches his music taste. Mr Cool loves a bit of Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground . Along with his cool music taste there are several other reasons that make him even cooler, like his dressing sense, his funny interviews, the dedication he shows for his team and well! the list is never ending.

Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

Wazzaa! Rooney is definitely one the best United players and well deserves to be captaining the team. Despite being a team player he has a very strange taste in music. The United and England Captain is a big fan of Stereophonics and also made the band play at his wedding, Rooney loves the band so much that he even got the title of the band’s number 1 album tattooed on his arm.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG)

I am Zlatan! The controversial striker is known for his acrobatic goals and his sarcasm both on and off the pitch. Zlatan loves listening to One Love by Bob Marley and also mentioned that he likes listening to Reggae music. Well it might come as a huge surprise as most of us thought that Death Metal would have definitely suited his personality. But then whatever suits you Zlatan, just keep on scoring those amazing goals.

Leighton Baines (Everton)

He scores free kicks, he defends and he can even take penalties, Can he get any cooler? Yes he can. While other footballers like listening to hip hop and R&B, he prefers listening to Indie Bands. Baines is a huge guitar lovers and he is also friends with Miles Kane and Arctic Monkey’s front man Alex Turner. Adding more to this, Baines also loves to write music Blogs here is the link  http://www.offthepost.info/

Ever wondered Why Major League Soccer?

Major League Soccer

David Beckam, Kaka, Jermain Defoe, Thierry Henry, David Villa, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and now the latest transfer speculation of Xavi from Barcelona.

All of them either joined and retired at Major League Soccer or will be joining MLS by the end of their contract of their previous club. It is quite intriguing as to Why out of all the league’s these entire club legends are joining MLS? Did you ever think about this?

Over the past few years Football (Soccer)in the United states and Canada has emerged so much that players are motivated to join MLS prior to their retirement, Be it playing for LA Galaxy, Orlando City, New York City, or any MLS club,these players do not think that this is a downfall in their career but a path for new challenges, new style of play and learning football the American style.Before telling you about the possible reasons, let us know a little bit about MLS.

• · MLS(Major league Soccer) is Professional Soccer League representing the sports highest level in The United States and Canada.
• Founded on December 17, 1993. First match on October 20, 1996.
• Composed of 20 teams, 17 in the U.S and 3 in Canada.
• Runs from March to October with each team playing 34 games.
• The name of the MLS trophy is MLS cup.

Now, since we know a little bit about MLS, let us see what might have motivated these Players to join Major League soccer:-

Salary

It is true that MLS does pay a real hefty amount to their star players but those who joined had several other reasons apart from salary, even you cannot argue about. MLS does offer a great benefit to players which eventually compensates with their salary. David Beckham became the highest earning sportsman in the U.S when he signed the contract with LA Galaxy. Even Kaka who joined Orlando city signed a pretty good contract with Orlando city, which stated that he will be earning a base salary of $6.66 million and an annual guaranteed compensation of $7.17million. Kaka’s move to Orlando City turned out to be the biggest in Major League Soccer history. Getting a good salary is quite an incentive for players to join MLS.

DESIRE TO START FROM ZERO

You cheer them when they are in-form and you hate them when they don’t. MLS fans are always excited to see their idols like David Beckham, Mikael Silvestre, Kaka, Thierry Henry, David Villa. Seeing them play for or against your team is always nice, after all, football is to be enjoyed and more to that is to see these players enjoy and show-off their skills on the field.The fans have definitely seen ups and downs in the form of their players and it’s a part of every player’s life but in MLS things never go out of hand, such is the patience of the fans.

WINNING MORE TROPHIES

It is always nice to win more trophies right, so why not add achievements from different leagues to your portfolio. Definitely the players who choose MLS would always like to add more trophies to their tally and end their successful career with an additional trophy in the United States.

NO LONGER SITTING ON THE BENCH

What generally happens at major clubs is when a player reaches a certain age, the coach begins to have doubts about whether that player should start the game. In MLS the player has better chances to start the game and with his experience he might be able to help team win the games. This can be a major reason as each footballer wants to play each and every game of his life till the time he completely retires from football.

LOVE FOR THE CITY

When Thierry Henry joined New York Red bulls what he emphasized on was his love for the city. He mentioned that he always wanted to live in New York which led and motivated him to join New York Red Bulls. So, are many of the football stars joining MLS to stay in the United States? It might be true that some of the stars love American Cities and would like to have a nice peaceful life with their families in a new city. So, why not join MLS when it offers everything?

In recent years, we have seen football grow across the world and not only South America and Europe. We all saw the new US Soccer international team in the recent FIFA World Cup 2014, giving back to back amazing performances and a ‘never give up’attitude which led them to the final 16 of the world cup, it clearly showed how much USA has to offer to the world of football and I am pretty sure that soon Major League Soccer will be a much more renowned and followed league just like Barclays Premier League and La Liga.

Is the Title Race back on Track?

EPL TITLE RACE IS BACK ON TRACK

Premier league is the most unpredictable league after all, with clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham, and Liverpool all fighting for the top 4 spot. Chelsea are just 7 points clear off Manchester City and behind City is Arsenal with just 1 point difference and Manchester United after defeating Liverpool are 5 points clear of Liverpool and all the top 4 teams are contesting for the league title.

Let’s have a check on who has the better edge of winning the title.

Chelsea

Currently sitting on the top of the table and with a six point gap, are the favorites to win the league with 9 matches remaining compared to other teams who just have 8. Though, a slip now can result in losing the title. Chelsea will face against Stoke(H), QPR(A), Man Utd(H), Arsenal(A) ,Leicester(A), Crystal Palace(H) in the next 6  games. With Arsenal and Man Utd founding their form back it will be difficult for Chelsea who has had a shaky form in the last 6 fixtures (w-w-d-w-d-d). Diego Costa has faced a hamstring injury but it looks like he will be available for Chelsea’s next fixtures. Eden hazard, CescFabregas, Oscar, Willian and especially (Courtois who made 3 back to back saves against hull)all look in good form and if things continue to go well for them they might lift the trophy this season under Jose Mourinho.

Manchester City

The title defenders sit on the 2^nd spot with Chelsea drifting apart with a 6 point lead and a game in hand. Manchester City has the class to challenge for the league title and the champions league but why is that they are not able to play themselves through. The records clearly state that their away form has been into questioning with just gathering 8 points from their last 6 away games(W-D-D-W-L-L). Their Recent Champions League defeat to Barcelona again resulted in a disappointing champions league display and if they need to really win all the next games in which they will be facing Crystal Palace(A), Manchester United(A), West Ham(H), Aston Villa (H), Spurs(A), QPR(H). Their top players (Sergio Aguero, David Silva, James Milner, Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany) really need to get into action and help their team retain their Title.

 Arsenal

Arsenal can be described as the Phoenix Club, though they had a really poor start but after the winter break they have pulled themselves up and have bagged 6 consecutive wins in the league and sit on the 3^rd spot.They defeated Manchester United in the FA cup and again showed their class, when they pulled back 2 goals in the away match against Monaco but were knocked out. Arsene Wenger still claims that the title still can be won by Arsenal and if they continue to perform like this,definitely there is hope for them. They face Liverpool(H), Burnley(A), Chelsea(H), Hull(A), Swansea(H), Man Utd(A).their top players Santi Cazorla, Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Giroud create a powerful attacking force and Arsenal are very much in the title race only of the win all their next fixtures.

Manchester United

Glory Glory Man Utd! The fans love chanting the glory song. Manchester United are certainly back on track under Louis Van Gaal, indeed the strict coach has found his best line and fans now understand the philosophy. United has just lost once in their last six premier league games and have collected 15 crucial points which will help them retain their position in the top 4. United overcame Tottenham and Liverpool in their previous fixture and will face Aston Villa(H), Man City(H), Chelsea(A), Everton(A), West Brom(H) and Crystal Palace(A) and they will need to work really hard to retain a spot for champions league position. However, it isn’t impossible for them looking at their record against tough teams. With Wayne Rooney scoring goals and Fellaini, Mata and Ashley Young showing an impressive form, the next fixtures are a must watch.

Liverpool

They had a really poor start but then after the winter break we saw a rejuvenated Liverpool, bagging 5 consecutive win and 1 defeat in their last 6 games, Liverpool fans are finally expecting to atleast qualify for the Champions League. Liverpool next fixtures are against Arsenal(A), Newcastle(H), Hull(A), West Brom(A), QPR(H) , Chelsea(A) and if they are really hungry for that top 4 spot they need to overcome all of these teams. Coutinho and Jordon Henderson are in the form of their life and will need to take the responsibility of carrying their team forward. Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling are finding their feet to be more consistent infront of the goal

Tottenham and Southampton

The only  good thing happened with Tottenham this season was their academy youngster Harry Kane,giving amazing  performances and fighting for the the golden shoe alongside Sergio Aguero and Diego Costa, Kane has scored 19 goals this season so far and continues to perform, even Cristian Erikson has shown some amazing performances in the past few fixtures and with several clubs keeping an eye on him, Spurs need to really boost up their away performance, though it looks that a top 4 spot might be out of the question.

Southampton really lifted some eye brows when the season began but their form in the last six games has dropped with 2 win, 2 draws and 2 defeats which resulted in losing all their hope for the top 4 spot.

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Being a Defender is equally difficult

Defense is the most important part of a team; it’s pointless if you keep on scoring goals and conceding them at the same time. This is when a defender plays his role, not only he has to stop the attacker but he should be rock solid at the back.

So let’s see what all things make a complete defender:

Build a Body

A defender needs to understand the physical demands while playing in different defensive roles. A Centre backs needs to be physically strong and quick as they will be facing pacey and powerful players, whereas full-backs need to be fast and tricky as they will be running up and down the pitch a lot so they need to be fit at all times with super stamina.

Anticipate the Attacker

Being a defender is never easy, one mistake and you can cost a goal. A defender needs to anticipate the move of the player he has to anticipate the direction in which the player will be moving and he needs to intercept rather than tackling. He needs to understand that one wrong tackle will lead to free kicks or even penalties. It is also his duty to pass the ball back to the keeper and should know very well when to clear the ball. If a defender keeps the striker facing towards his goal then he has done his job. He needs to push the player on to his weaker foot which will eventually result in missing the shot. As a Full Back, the defender has to make the first move and stop the attacker breaking through; his job is to stop the crosses and the chances that are created from the wings.

Maintain the line

Many a times you might have seen that there is lack of communication between the full-back and the centre back which results in strikers breaking the defence and scoring. Hence, Centre backs need to maintain the line with full backs which will help in creating offside traps and making it difficult to break through, whereas as full-backs needs to understand that not only they are facing the wingers but also full-backs of the opposition and he really needs to focus, if he goes off the line from the wing, an attacker might break in easily and create a problem for the goalkeeper.

Understand your Attribute as a Defender

A defender needs to be quick, agile, aggressive and smart. A defender needs to understand his opponent and his next move; if a defender is beaten he will need to make a recovery run towards the near post to get the goal side of the attacker. Recovery run are very important for a defender as it might be his last chance to pull through his mistake

Tackling and Intercepting

This is the most important job of the defender, his tackling needs to be accurate and he should never lose the sight of the ball. A defender can only tackle when the attacker is within his range, unnecessary tackling and improper tackling might cost him a card and serious mistimed tackling can even result in a red card.

Intercepting is quite different from tackling. If interception is madethere are fewer chances of errors and a defender really needs to make this decision whether to tackle or intercept.

Heading Accuracy

In the modern game heading accuracy is very important and especially if you are a centre back then your heading accuracy needs to be perfect. The centre backs will be facing a lot of crosses and he needs to direct the ball away from the goal, apart from saving his goalkeeper from crosses a centre back even attacks during set-pieces and a defenders best chance to score is through his heading accuracy

Biggest Club Rivalries

Club Rivalries

Real Madrid Vs Barcelona

(Spain)

Perhaps the biggest rivals in the world of football, “El Clasico” never ever disappoints its viewers and is also the most watched matches around the world.  Currently the feud is not just between Real Madrid and Barcelona but it is also said to be the match between two of the best footballers on the planet(Leo Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo). El Clasico is also a battle for both prestige and political ascendency, a struggle between the wealthy elites of Madrid and the socialist separatist of Barcelona. Though you can see a fight between the players begin during the game but thankfully fan violence is rare as compared to European countries. The best part is you don’t have to wait too long to see this epic battle.

On 22^nd march 2015 The Catalians and Castilians meet in a league game.

Liverpool vs Manchester United

(England)

One of the biggest rivalries in English football! The Rivalry between the Red Devils and the Reds is considered as one epic battle between the two English armies. They have a total of 120 honours and 80 major and both the clubs claim the title of ‘Greatest English Football Club’. The two cities being just 35 minutes from each other share a great passion for football and on March 22^nd 2015 you can see them again go head to head with each other.

AC Milan vs Internazionale

(Italy)

"Derby Della Madonnina" or “The Milan Derby”  is one heck of match. It so called to honor the statue of Virgin Maryon the top of duomo, which is usually called Madonnia. The battle between the Nerazurri and the Rossoneri has surpassed 100 years, the derby began in a friendly match on 18 October 1908. It is also one of the most viewed matches and it is widely considered as the major cross town derbies in the Serie A, so much, that only selected referees may officiate whenever these two clubs collide.

Ajax vs Feyenoord

(Netherlands)

Een hel van een spel! Alright this means ‘one hell of a game in Dutch’, which this match truly is. This derby is known as “De Klassieker(the Classic)”. This Dutch grudge match has seen violence in the past and things even went out of control so much in 1997/98 season that the away Fans were banned for two Away Games.

This strict measure was introduced when an Ajax supporter was beaten to death in the outskirts of Amsterdam. Things got heated up again in 2005 when these two sides met each other and riots took place outside Feyenoord.

So, it can also be called as Holland’s most hated fight club.

Fenerbahce vs Galatasaray
(Turkey)

    “The Istanbul Derby” is the clash between these two giants and whenever the match happens there is a volatile atmosphere, as both the clubs are based in Istanbul, local passions and political tension are pretty intense. Over the long course of history this derby has had its share of violence among the clubs highly passionate fans and like the “De Klassiekar” , this derby has also claimed lives due to the countless acts of violence and rioting.

River Plate vs Boca Juniors

(Argentina)

“The SuperClasico”…Yes that’s right! This derby is known as the Super Clasico, A match between the Argentine heavy weights both hailing from Beunos Aires. SuperClasicos are noted for the gigantic flags and colourful banners which the clubs supporters hang from every conceivable part of the stadium, Although sometimes it’s not often so colourful when violence arises between the fans. The worst incident took place in the summer of 1968 when 71 fans were killed and 150 injured in a crushing stadium stampede in the away end of River’s El Monumental Stadium. Though the ‘Peurta 12’ Incident has scarred many of the supporters, theSuperClasico continues to be Argentina’s most intense Derby.

Roma vs Lazio
(Italy)

“Derby Della Capitale”, Like the Milanese team involved in Derby Della Klassieker. ‘Roma’ representing the Roman working class and ‘Lazio’ the club of wealthy elites share bitter hatred for each other which stretches back to generations. The “Derby dellaCapitale” is notorious for being Italy’s most violent and volatile fixtures and fights tend to stand up not just among the fans but between the players and the coaching staff aswell. This derby has been historically marked by massive crowds, Violence and racist banners in the crowd. It is amazing to see when these two clubs collide whether in a friendly, league or cup match.

Celtic vs. Rangers

(Scotland)

Wanna talk about derbies… well then,Glassgow is the place. Any match between Celtic and Ranger is called the “Old Firm Derby”although the origin is still not known but the Rivalry is very clear. Oh and yes, this game is also set be a religious conflict between the Protestants (Rangers) vs.Catholics (Celtic) factions of the Glasgow.Though serious Violence has reduced in the recent years but the Old firm Derby remains to be one of the most volatile and politically sensitive derby in world of football.

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