South-European derbies in the sun

Derby de Lisboa: Benfica – Sporting CP

The game of the season in Portugal is Benfica - Sporting. Both teams are settled in the capital city Lisbon and they both have a fascinating history. Benfica, for example, won the Champions League twice and they played in the finals seven times. They weren't in shape the last couple of years, but the tables turned when Roger Schmidt was designated as coach. Sporting Lissabon won the Portuguese championship in 2021. Benfica won their last Primeira Liga title in 2019.

There are several reasons why you should go on a football trip to Lisbon. The city is great, the weather is usually lovely and the locals are very friendly. The stadiums of Benfica (Estádio da Luz) and Sporting Lissabon (Estádio José Alvalade) are worth visiting, as well. Estádio da Luz is the most popular one of the two. The capacity of the stadium is around 66,000 and a lot of finals were hosted at the Estádio da Luz. For example, the finals of the 2014 and 2020 Champions League.

The derby de Lisboa will take place in the season of 2022/23 on the 15th of January at the Estádio da Luz and on May 21 at the Estádio José Alvalade. Another top match in Portugal is the one played between Benfica and Porto. The first match will take place on October 21 in Porto. The return will take place on April 9. Their last match ended in 3-0 with Porto being the victor and two red cards were drawn.

El Derbi Madrileño: Real Madrid – Atlético Madrid

The weather is usually not as good in Madrid as it is in Portugal, but the temperature is still fine. One of the most impressive matches in La Liga is the Madrilean derby: Real Madrid against Atlético. The last match between these two top clubs took place on September 18. Real Madrid won the away game, which ended in 1-2. Rodrygo and Valverde scored the goals. The derby got distorted – as usual – and the Atlético player Hermoso retrieved a red card. The return will take place on February 26.

You should also wander through the beautiful city of Madrid before or after visiting the match. You might also like to do a tour of the Santiago Bernabéu or Wanda Metropolitano. Both stadiums are very impressive, and the prize cabinets are overfilled. Buy your tickets on time, for the match, as well as for the tour.

El derby Barceloní: Barcelona – Espanyol

El Derby Barceloní between FC Barcelona and Espanyol is an interesting one. The Barcelona supporters view themselves as more Catalan than the supporters of Espanyol. So, there’s a true city rivalry reigning over this match. Barcelona usually wins the match, but the match is still convivial and worth visiting. The first derby will be played in Barcelona on December 31. A perfect timing, because you'll celebrate New Year's Eve in this fantastic city.

Would you rather visit the match when it’s a bit warmer in Barcelona? Then you should buy tickets for the return at the Estadi Cornella-El Prat, Espanyol’s stadium. This match will take place on May 15. At what time the match will be played, is still unknown. The last time Barcelona played against Espanyol it resulted in 2-2. So, Xavi’s team has to make things right.

El Clásico: Barcelona – Real Madrid

We don’t need to say much about El Clásico. Everybody knows this battle, and football fans usually dream of watching this match in real life. The matches promise to be amazing once again this season. It is also expected that Barcelona and Real Madrid will battle for the championship this year. Atlético seems to pull back, but it’s quite early to draw any conclusions about how the season will end.

The first El Clásico this season will be played on October 16. The last time Real Madrid played against Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu it resulted in 0-4. Spain’s champion needs to make amends. The return will take place on March 19 at Camp Nou. You can book an all-included football trip to El Clásico for only 849 euros per person. But book on time because this desired match is sold-out within mere minutes.

Derby del Sole: Napoli – AS Roma

Entirely in this article's style: the Derby of the Sun between Napoli and AS Roma. This match is known as the 'Derby of the South' in Italy. They played a draw twice last season. Hopefully, it will be a little more thrilling this season. Mourinho’s club, Napoli, will play an away game against Roma on October 23 and the return will take place on January 29 in Naples. The season is going well so far for Napoli. They haven’t lost one single match and they defeated Liverpool and Ajax in the Champions League. Roma’s results are fluctuating and they’re on the sixth place right now.

Rome, as well as Naples, are great cities to visit. Culture almost splashes out of every paving stone, the food is delicious and the sun is almost always shining. The stadiums are also worth visiting. The stadium of Napoli is called the Diego Armando Maradona stadium. Roma plays their home matches at the Olympiastadion in Rome.

Other derbies worth visiting

There are many more derbies that you can visit besides the South-European ones. What about the numerous derbies in England? The weather might not be to your liking there, but the atmosphere in the stadiums will undoubtedly keep you warm during cold days! The same goes for German derbies. Would you like to visit a match that you cannot find at our website? Don’t be afraid to contact us because we’re always able to arrange something for you!