One of the best-known Reds v Blues contests in English football is Manchester City v Manchester United.
The two Manchester giants have met 167 times – and over the year there have been 69 United wins, 48 City wins and 50 draws.
The fixture has such a long history that both clubs have in fact changed their names since the first time the two clubs met.
City, in the guise of ‘West Gorton (St. Marks)’, hosted United as ‘Newton Heath’ back in 1881 and lost 3-0.
Not quite the blockbuster events the meetings are today, a local paper described the first meeting as “a pleasant game”.
At that time those clubs were just two of many fledgling sides in the Manchester area and the fixture had no special significance.
But the pair went on to become the dominant teams in Manchester, both joining the Football Alliance before finally being admitted to the Football League in 1892.
Newton Heath were in Division One and Ardwick (City’s new name) were in the new Division Two.
United have won 20 League titles (13 Premier League and seven Football League), 11 FA Cups, four Football League Cups and two Champions Leagues.
City, Champions in 2013-14, have five titles, five FA Cups and two Football League Cups.
There was a Manchester Derby at Old Trafford in the 1970s that was particularly poignant for Scottish international striker Denis Law, a legend for both City and United.
Manchester City fans celebrate Derby Day success
After 80 minutes without a goal, Law, then with City, back-heeled the ball past Alex Stepney and into the net.
He was immediately substituted and never played League football again.
The match was abandoned after a pitch invasion by United supporters a few minutes later.
But the result stood and United were relegated to Division Two.
‘Blue’ City and ‘Red’ United have never met in an FA Cup Final but City’s Yaya Toure scored the goal that won a Semi-Final before a crowd of 86,549 at the new Wembley in 2011.
A few weeks later United were crowned Premier League Champions after securing the point they needed at Blackburn Rovers - while on the same day City lifted The FA Cup after beating Stoke City at Wembley Stadium.
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