Football rivalry is one thing that has been a constant item in football. In fact, for many people, football wouldn’t be complete without notable rivalry and derby games. Well, we agree with that notion too. That’s why in this article that would be our focus.
This article would be taking you through the biggest football club rivalries in the last five years. You’ll see why games between these teams are tense and how the fans react to these games. Let’s begin.
Biggest Football Club Rivalries In The Last Five Years
Below are some of the biggest football club rivalries in the last five years;
1. Liverpool vs Manchester City
One of the biggest football rivalries in recent times is the Liverpool and Manchester City rivalry. The rivalry got even more intense in the last 5—6 years before the retirement of former Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp. When Jurgen Klopp was in charge of Liverpool, himself and Pep Guardiola of Manchester City would go head-to-head whenever they faced each other.
This rivalry was even shown in their diverse style of play whenever their teams played against themselves. For Jurgen Klopp Liverpool, it was intense pressing and strong counterattacking play.
However, for Manchester City it was more possession and positional play. As a result, every time the two teams met it was the biggest tactical teams facing each other.
Another fact that made the rivalry more intense was their English Premier League title race. The two teams were always differentiated by small points. In fact, on two occasions, they were separated by just 1 point. For instance, in the 2018/19 PL season, Manchester City finished on 98 points while Liverpool finished on 97.
An almost same thing happened in the 2021/22 where Manchester City won with 93 points while Liverpool had only 92 points. In fact, it was noticed that across multiple seasons between 2018 and 2024, both Liverpool and Manchester City under these two managers regularly crossed 90 points.
This point in other leagues were title winning points but for Liverpool and Manchester City was left until the last EPL match day.
2. Real Madrid vs Manchester City
Another club rivalry that has always made the headlines is the Real Madrid and Manchester City rivalry. In the last five years, this rivalry has become one of the most followed rivalries in the UEFA Champions League. In the last four Champions League campaigns, the two clubs have always met in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League.
In almost every time they have met, it has always been Manchester City who has dominated their games especially in terms of control. The Manchester City team are always on perfect score in areas such as possession and buildup from the back.
On the other hand, Real Madrid have always stood out due to their in-game management. On many occasions, they have always dominated when it comes to defending and hitting on the counterattack.
The rivalry intensified especially in 2022 during the UEFA Champions League match between Real Madrid and Manchester City. In the match, Manchester City were already on the verge of qualifying for the final of the UEFA Champions League edition.
However, two late goals by Rodrygo sent Manchester City home even after dominating throughout the match. In the next year’s edition of the UEFA Champions League, Manchester City carried out revenge on Real Madrid by scoring 4 unreplied goals in the match.
In the past years, statements from the coaches have also highlighted how tense this rivalry is. On one occasion, Carlo Ancelotti described Manchester City as “the best team in Europe” structurally. There’s no doubt that these matches have portrayed the tactical prowess between both teams.
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3. Barcelona vs Real Madrid
Another clash worth mentioning is the El Clasico match between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Yes, even after the departure of both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the rivalry had not changed. It seems that the ambition of both teams going into the match has even more reignited.
For Barcelona, the El Clasico match is a fixture to prove to the world how talented their La Masia stars have gotten. With players like Pedri, Gavi, and Lamine Yamal, Barcelona use the El Clasico to show the world how they’ve been able to rely on their academy players rather than spending money on the big names.
As for Real Madrid, the El Clasico is also another avenue to showcase their mixed structure of experience and young players. Players like Vinícius Jr, Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe usually lead the line for the Real Madrid team.
Over the years, fans of both Real Madrid and Barcelona have treated the El Clásico as a tense match. We’ve seen how Barcelona fans have celebrated moments like Barcelona’s dominant 4–0 win at the Bernabéu in 2022 and how Real Madrid fans have rejoiced over Vinícius and Kylian Mbappé’s brilliance against Barcelona.
4. Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund
Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have remained Germany’s biggest rivalry even after several years. Even though it is true that Bayern Munich’s financial strength and squad depth have given them an upper hand in recent years, Borussia Dortmund have challenged Bayern Munich through their youth development.
In this rivalry, we’ve seen several title-deciding encounters between 2020 and 2024. In fact, the fixture in the 2022/23 season made things even more tense between both teams where the two teams went back and forth to get victory. The matches between the two have always carried huge pressure with Bayern Munich relying on experience while Borussia Dortmund playing with emotion to win.
Conclusion
Rivalries in football are what makes football games even more interesting. The rivalry between Real Madrid and Manchester City for example have left us at the tip of our chairs many times. The El Clasico have reignited our love for tactics and the Manchester City and Liverpool rivalry have shown the world the height that a football rivalry can go.
Aren’t you impressed too?