Top 5 Worst derby defeats in football

• A derby is usually a match between two teams from the same town or city
• Without derbies, football wouldn’t be the same as the fierce rivalry spice up things before and during matches
• Manchester United being thumped 6-1 by Manchester City is one of the worst derby defeats in football

Which are the worst derby defeats in football? For starters, a derby is usually a match between two teams from the same town or city. Without derbies, football wouldn’t be the same as the fierce rivalry spice up things before and during matches. This is why even though a derby could be dominated by one team, fans of the other will still show up to support their team.

And on that, we bring you the worst derby defeats in football. These are the matches that fans of the teams on the losing side wished never happened.

1. Liverpool 7-0 Manchester United

Liverpool beat Manchester United 7-0 in 2022. Photo/ The Hindu Business Line.

Even though Liverpool and Manchester United have clubs in their own cities that they face every season, their rivalry is considered a derby because of the level of competitiveness in this fixture. This is usually heightened by the fact that these two clubs are the most successful in England.

Liverpool have been the dominant force in this fixture for many years, especially under Jurgen Klopp. In one of the matches played at Anfield, Klopp’s side thumped Manchester United 7-0, which is the biggest scoreline on this list of worst derby defeats in football.

Surprisingly, Liverpool have never won any match against the Red Devils since that fateful night. They have been held to a 2-2 draw twice and suffered defeat once last month in the quarter-finals of FA Cup.

2. Manchester United 1-6 Manchester City

For many years, Manchester United were the favourites heading into Manchester derby. However, things have changed in recent years and the Cytizens are the most dominant force in this fixture.

The first time Manchester City thoroughly beat United was during the 2011-12 season when Sir Alex Ferguson’s men were hammered 6-1 at Old Trafford. The scoreline did not only represent a beating but also one of the worst derby defeats in football.

Things have never been the same since then for the Red Devils as they have been the second best team going into this clash. BBC commentator Guy Mowbray summed everything perfectly when he said: “Sir Alex Ferguson was asked in 2009 if City could ever go into a derby as favourites. He said ‘not in my lifetime’… now it’s every time.”

Manchester City beat Manchester United 6-0 during the 2011-12 season. Photo/ DAZN.

Manchester United have suffered several devastating defeats over the years against City, including a 4-1 thumping and a 6-3 humiliation in 2022.

3. Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid

Barcelona and Real Madrid are the two biggest teams in Spain. The rivalry between these two sides has been intense over the years and has produced some shocking scorelines.

During Pep Guardiola’s time as Barcelona manager, the Catalans were stronger than their rivals and once thumped them 5-0. It was the first meeting between Guardiola and Jose Mourinho as Real Madrid manager. Over 100,000 were in attendance as Barca destroyed the Los Blancos on their way to winning the La Liga title that season.

4. Celtic 5-0 Rangers

Celtic demolishing Rangers 5-0 is one of the worst derby defeats in football considering the fact that the former won the league title at the end of the match.

The Old Firm derby has been known to be tough but on this particular evening in 2018 Celtic came all guns out and humiliated their bitter rivals to clinch the Scottish Premier League in style. The Hoops led 3-0 at half-time and then added two more goals in the second half to get the job done.

Celtic beat Rangers 5-0 in 2018. Photo/ beIN SPORTS.

5. AC Milan 0-4 Inter Milan

AC Milan and Inter Milan have been rivals for as long as the clubs have existed. On Monday, April 22, Milan suffered a 2-1 defeat at home allowing Inter Milan to win the Serie A title with five games to go. To be honest, this was a humiliating defeat considering they are the second placed team on the table and winning the match would have delayed Inter Milan’s celebrations.

However, the worst humiliation suffered by Milan in the Derby della Madonnina came in the second week of the 2009-10 season as they were humbled 4-0 by Jose Mourinho’s side. Inter would go on to win a historic treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia and UEFA Champions League.