10 fiercest rivalries in world football

This past weekend saw several high-profile derbies take centre stage across Europe, with bitter rivals like Real and Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and Inter, and Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich renewing hostilities.

But which historic clash is the most ferocious, and how do they compare to some of the more hostile matches the sport has to offer?

Here are the 10 fiercest rivalries in club football.

10. Arsenal vs. Tottenham

It started with a simple change of scenery in 1913 when Arsenal made its way to north London from Woolwich and settled at Highbury, just four miles away from Tottenham's White Hart Lane. Since then, the rivalry has morphed into one of the world's most anticipated fixtures on the football calendar. It's also inspired a new holiday for at least one set of supporters after Arsenal fans coined the phrase St. Totteringham's Day to celebrate Tottenham's failure to finish above the Gunners in the Premier League.

Next match: April 29 (White Hart Lane)

9. Borussia Dortmund v Schalke

Residents in the Ruhr district of Germany lay claim to Germany's most passionate rivalry. While Borussia Dortmund's match-up with Bayern Munich has evolved into a global viewing event, it pales in comparison to the hatred shared between BVB and FC Schalke 04. One trigger for the shared contempt occurred in 1970 when Schalke's owner, in response to a pair of his player getting bit by a German shepherd, rented four young lions to greet Dortmund players as they attempted to walk onto the pitch.

Next match: March 31 (Veltins-Arena)

8. Benfica vs. FC Porto

A century of hatred kicked off with a Benfica victory in the first ever O Clasico when FC Porto suffered a heavy 8-2 defeat in 1912. Since then, Portugal's two biggest clubs have not managed to string together win streaks longer than four matches as the constant tug of war to come out on top has often resulted in one or the other lifting the Primeira Liga trophy at season's end.

Since the first winner was crowned in 1935, Porto and Benfica have won a combined 62 Primeira Liga titles:

Next match: April 2 (Estadio da Luz)

7. Aston Villa vs. Birmingham

The Second City derby never seems to lose its intensity, no matter how long supporters have to wait before the rivalry is renewed. That's perhaps the reason behind the excitement heading into the current campaign as Aston Villa's relegation from the Premier League guaranteed at least two encounters with Birmingham City this season, with the first resulting in a tight 1-1 draw. Let's just hope no one has to go through a moment of madness similar to Peter Enckelman's own goal off of a throw-in, and the onslaught of supporters who invaded the pitch just to taunt the former Villa 'keeper.

Next match: April 23 (Villa Park)

6. Olympiacos vs. Panathinaikos

The sight of players from either Olympiacos or Panathinaikos pleading with supporters to refrain from interrupting matches is far from uncommon whenever the eternal enemies do battle. The two prominent Greek sides often inspire an intense atmosphere in the stands, with Panathinaikos getting docked three points and fined in 2015 when fans forced the match official to bring the derby against Olympiacos to a premature end.

Next match: Tentatively scheduled for March 12 (Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium)

5. Barcelona vs. Real Madrid

Sure, football fans around the world tune into El Clasico to watch two of the greatest collections of talent square-off against one another. But it's the shared bitterness in the stands and on the pitch that generates the buzz as matches between Real Madrid and Barcelona often produce moments - good and bad - that stick with supporters far beyond the final whistle.

Next match: Dec. 3 (Camp Nou)

4. Roma vs. Lazio

The Derby della Capitale has the unfortunate distinction of being the event in which the first football fan passed away in Italy as a result of violence when a Lazio supporter died after a flare thrown by a Roma fan hit him in the eye. Since then, the capital city derby has been marred by a number of incidents, most notably in 2004 when a riot erupted in the second half, leading to the Italian Football League president ordering the match to be abandoned.

Next match: Dec. 4 (Stadio Olimpico)

3. Celtic vs. Rangers

Years of dormancy did little to tone down the toxic nature that's generally associated with the Old Firm derby. Financial woes prevented Rangers from clashing with Glasgow neighbours Celtic for close to five years after being relegated. Although a pair of Scottish Cup matches last year rekindled the rivalry, the 2016-17 campaign will feature at least four contests between the two in Scotland's top flight for the first time since 2012. Though, Rangers will hope the next three produce better results compared to the 5-1 beatdown dished out by Celtic in September.

Next match: Dec. 31 (Ibrox Stadium)

2. Al Ahly vs. Zamalek

The Cairo derby is not only the talk of the town whenever Al Ahly and Zamalek get together. The two famous Egyptian sides are often the talk of the nation, and even the African continent whenever the Cairo derby comes around. Because of the rampant violence in the stands and conspiracies regarding biased officials, matches are now played at neutral stadiums and officials have to be selected from outside the country to look over one of football's most bitter derbies.

Next match: Feb. 10 (Cairo International Stadium)

1. Boca Juniors vs. River Plate

It's an absolute spectacle that brings Argentina to a standstill when Boca Juniors and River Plate go at it. Whether it's the appearance of a drone hovering over the pitch with a ghostly symbol to torment River players a year after getting relegated, or a team of security guards acting as an umbrella to help players and coaches avoid being bombarded with flying objects, football almost feels secondary at times. But, in reality, football is the main event that draws countless viewers from around the world to watch the world's fiercest football rivalry.

Next match: Dec. 11 (El Monumental)