Derby day is a special occasion in any city around the world. In the UK we have Manchester, Glasgow and the Tyne and Wear battles, while further afield, places such as Belgrade and Milan come alive with football fanatics when the big day approaches, but there is possibly one place that trumps them all - Liverpool, a city rich in football history. On the one side we have the Reds, famously known around the world as a successful club in the glory days of Bill Shankly. Then we have Everton, living in their neighbour's shadow for most of the years since but enjoying their own glory days under Howard Kendall. It is difficult to comprehend the magnitude of this game without being around the city during the build up to match day. Every family in the city has an allegiance to one of the teams, with bragging rights up for grabs in offices, playgrounds and pubs in the local area. The Merseyside Derby is also well known for the friendly nature between fans. Despite the fierce rivalry there is a mutual respect between the two sets of supporters, with banter often shared freely in the pubs before and after the game. So who will make the difference come kick off on Saturday? Here we look at the 5 key battles that could decide the bragging rights come Monday morning.
First year student at Sunderland University with a passion for all things sport - more specifically cricket and football. Follow me on Twitter - @luke_bidwell.
