Prepare for the Derby weekend! SIX clashes between bitter local rivals – including Everton against Liverpool

Say what you love about international football, it doesn’t quite match the blood and thunder of an old-fashioned derby.

Fierce rivals are at stake with bragging rights, living rooms divided and the mood in the office on Monday morning is determined by what happens for 90 minutes.

Well, at five times when Liverpool meet Everton this weekend, Rangers face Celtic, the two Milanese giants will face off before Tottenham host West Ham and Crystal Palace take on Brighton.

Here is the low point of the weekend’s grudge matches.

Everton against Liverpool

Saturday 12.30 pm

Liverpool and Everton are well placed to claim that the international break couldn’t have come at a worse time.

The high-flying Toffees were denied the opportunity to quickly build on the momentum of four consecutive wins to get the season started, while the Reds had a fortnight to cook up that hammer by Aston Villa when they hit SEVEN scored goals.

Jurgen Klopp was left with shells at Villa Park that night, but something that didn’t surprise him is Everton’s emergence as a challenger.

Klopp had special praise for Carlo Ancelotti – who will be in the dugout opposite – but Dominic Calvert-Lewin will have to keep an eye on him.

He can’t stop scoring and his goal for England against Wales has already brought him to double digits for the campaign. Virgil van Dijk – You have been warned.

These are test times on Merseyside with the strict lockdown restrictions in place and while there is something else to focus on for 90 minutes on Saturday afternoon, perhaps only half the city would be smiling at the end of it.

Celtic vs Rangers

Saturday 12.30 pm

The bad news for the neutral nations north and south of the border is that the Glasgow and Merseyside derbies are happening simultaneously. To see them back to back on television would have made a really great Saturday.

There is little among fierce Scottish rivals as far as bookmakers are concerned (and they don’t often get it wrong) with Rangers one point and one goal better off after unbeaten starts for both, although Celtic have a game in hand.

This season there are about 10 in a row – whether Celtic clinch it or Rangers hold them back – and the first derby of the season could be more than a big clue.

Steven Gerrard’s Gers seemed to really try it out in the first half of last season before dropping out after Christmas and they got off to a good start this semester. That’s despite Alfredo Morelos not quite finding his shooting shoes. Likewise, Hoops boss Neil Lennon’s main man, Odsonne Edouard, has a few questions to answer.

If you don’t support Rangers or Celtic and have no affiliation with Merseyside, it’s best to set up a few screens during lunch. And enjoy.

Inter Milan vs AC Milan

Saturday 5:00 pm

The two former superpowers are the most successful and historic clubs in the Italian game, but by the end of this season, it will be 10 years since the Scudetto de San Siro was allowed to call home.

Inter won five titles in the bounce before Milan took the award in 2011, but they’ve been bridesmaids to old lady Juventus ever since.

Still, all eyes will be on that famous stadium on Saturday evening.

There will be no fans in because of the pandemic and the coronavirus has also robbed Inter boss Antonio Conte of six players after testing positive. Alessandro Bastoni, Milan Skriniar, Radja Nainggolan, Roberto Gagliardini, Ionut Andrei Radu and Ashley Young seem to be missing something. Milan has lost a few.

The good news for Conte is that he can call on Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku and the former Manchester United man is doing well with six goals in as many games for club and country this season.

Across the field from in-form Lukaku, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is available for Milan and will enjoy the chance to post one over one of his former clubs.

Both teams go unbeaten in this game after three games, but it is Milan that is nicely set with the record of 100 percent and no losses since the lockdown in March.

Crystal Palace vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Sunday 2 pm

Okay, we know it’s no ‘Derby‘if there are so many miles (45 if you google) between them, but if it’s good enough for Barcelona and Real Madrid, it’s good enough for Palace and Brighton. We’ll probably stop calling it the M23 Clasico.

As for the intense rivalry, this one really started in the 1970s with Brighton boss Alan Mullery tossing coins at the Palace prop before throwing v-plates and cups of coffee. You can read more about it here.

The teams were in the old Third Division at the time and since the Seagulls followed the Eagles to the top flight a few seasons ago, this is the first game the fans are looking for.

Palace have won two of their four games this season and Brighton have only won one, but a win in the M23 Clasico (sorry) could start a campaign.

Tottenham vs West Ham

Sunday 4:30 pm

Gareth Bale has smiled since leaving Real Madrid for a return to Tottenham and is about to make his second debut for the team he left in 2013.

Being one of the best players in the world in the Premier League is a good thing, but it can be terrible timing for David Moyes.

The Hammers manager watched his side (from a distance, due to the coronavirus) drone Wolves 4-0 and Leicester 3-0 in their two league games before half time, but he certainly cannot expect to revolt against a side from Tottenham Crushing Man. United 6-1 last time out and could be supported by Bale.

The teams have met five times in the past two seasons – there was a League Cup clash – and Spurs have won four. The Hammers start out as underdogs, but the gritty Scot Moyes wouldn’t want it any other way.

As for his counterpart Jose Mourinho, this is the first of five games in 15 days for his squad and he will already be thinking about shaking his pack.