Spanish football rivalries
There are several notable football rivalries in Spain. The most popular rivalry is El Clásico.
Club Football
Major Rivalries
El Clásico (The Classic) - Barcelona vs Real Madrid
Madrid Derby (Derbi El Madrid)- Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid
El Viejo Clásico - Real Madrid vs Atletic Bilbao
The rivalry between Real Madrid and Atletic Bilbao (commonly known as El Viejo Clásico) was first played back in 1903 when they met in a Copa Del Rey Final.[1]
Other Rivalries
- Derbi Barceloní (Barcelona VS Espanyol)
- Seville Derby (Real Betis VS Sevilla)[2]
- Valencia Derby / Derby of the Turia (Valencia VS Levante)
- Basque Derby (Real Sociedad VS Athletic Bilbao)
- Derbi de la Comunitat (Valencia VS Villarreal or Elche)
- Álava–Ebro rivalry (Alavés VS Mirandes)
- Aragón–Navarre rivalry (Real Zaragoza VS Osasuna)
- Derbi de Catalonya (FC Barcelona vs Girona)
International Football
Spain vs Portugal (The Iberian Derby)
The rivalry between Spain and Portugal is one of the oldest national football rivalries. Their first game was played in 1921 (Spain 3-1 Portugal, Friendly). They have played 37 games against each other. The most recent game was a 2-2 draw in normal time and a 5-3 win by Portugal in the penalties making sure Portugal snatches the Nation's league title from the hand of Spain. The top scorer in the rivalry is Isidro Lángara with 9 goals, including 5 goals in Spain's 9-0 win during 1934 FIFA World Cup qualification.
Spain vs Italy (The Mediterranean Derby)
The rivalry between Spain and Italy has been ongoing since their first meeting in 1920 (Spain 2-0 Italy, 1920 Olympics). They have played each other 38 times in total, with the latest match being a 2-1 win for Spain during the 2021 UEFA Nations League Finals
References
- ↑ "Atléti-Barça: History of a rivalry" (in Spanish). FIFA. Archived from the original on 2018-07-25. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
- ↑ Matt Gault (1 July 2015). "A Tale of One City: Seville". These Football Times. Retrieved 11 October 2018.