The 15 biggest EFL rivalries from the last 5 years (Ranked) | OneFootball

Rivalries in football are a massive part of the game, and although they might bring an ugly side every now and again, without them, the sport just wouldn’t be the same.

The Premier League might have the Manchester and Merseyside derbies, along with match-ups like Brighton v Crystal Palace, but the EFL has some fierce, fierce rivalries across the board.

A few aren’t even in the same league at the moment, but you can bet if they were to clash, their rivalries couldn’t be ignored.

Of course, they don’t have to be local to matter either, with incidents involving both clubs adding fuel to any lingering fire.

15 of the EFL’s biggest rivalries over the course of the last FIVE years - Do you agree?

15 Sunderland v Portsmouth

This rivalry really gave the 2018/19 season an edge in League One.

Both have been in the top-flight quite recently, but found themselves up against each other in the third-tier, looking to win promotion.

They met in the 2019 EFL Trophy final, with Pompey coming out on top, but Sunderland got revenge in the play-off semi-finals, before losing at Wembley to Charlton.

Both sets of fans don’t like each other and there’s definite spice when they go head-to-head.

14 Leeds United v Millwall

Leeds fans will argue this is a one-way rivalry, with Millwall often selling out the Den for their visit.

This rivalry really gave the 2018/19 season an edge in League One.

However, you can’t get away from the fact that both sets of supporters don’t like each other, dating right back to the 1980s.

The fact that Millwall have the habit of beating Leeds at the Den only adds to it, with the Whites’ record in London woeful to say the least, particularly during their 16-year stint in the EFL.

13 AFC Wimbledon v MK Dons

This one slots perfectly into our list today.

This rivalry really gave the 2018/19 season an edge in League One.

Wimbledon were the Crazy Gang and FA Cup winners and then didn't exist anymore, paving the way for the Milton Keynes ‘Franchise’ to come in.

By the time AFC Wimbledon were back in the Football League, MK Dons was the fixture their fans were gunning for.

They eventually got it, and it was hostile to say the least.

12 Cardiff City v Bristol City

The Severnside derby always has an edge, with this particular rivalry back on the agenda in the Championship recently.

Aden Flint is one player to cross the divide recently, whilst others like Bobby Reid and Lee Tomlin have done the same as well.

It’s never a dull game, with the fans only adding to that.

11 Exeter City v Plymouth Argyle

Moving to the very south of the country, we focus on Exeter City and Plymouth Argyle – two more clubs that can’t stand each other.

Standing on the terraces at St James’ Park, you learn quickly how much the Exeter fans don’t like Plymouth, which is surely a pleasantry that’s returned.

Another fierce rivalry.

10 Millwall v Charlton Athletic

A London rivalry that’s been renewed in the Championship over the last five years.

Millwall’s fans are notorious, we know that, whilst the Charlton faithful love going up against their city rivals.

It’s good to see them both competing in the same division, and when they meet, they’re sure to create a hostile and lively atmosphere - whenever that meeting might be!

9 Cheltenham v Forest Green Rovers

The rivalry between Cheltenham and Forest Green stretches back some distance. When they have met, it has been fierce and the fans love it.

Both were competing against each other in League One in 2022/23 after a recent rise through the EFL.

8 Leeds United v Derby County

Leeds and Derby have always had an edge.

The rivalry between Cheltenham and Forest Green stretches back some distance. When they have met, it has been fierce and the fans love it.

However, between 2018 and 2020, this rivalry really intensified with Marcelo Bielsa, Frank Lampard and Spygate.

Bielsa spied on Derby training, which got under Lampard’s skin, with the latter then masterminding a thrilling play-off win at Elland Road, despite losing to Leeds in three of the other four meetings that season.

They don’t like to admit it, but both sets of fans hate each other. During the pandemic, Derby's guard of honour for Leeds at Pride Park brought an end to what had been a blockbuster two years.

7 Preston North End v Blackpool

This is probably Preston’s big rivalry in the EFL.

Perhaps not as fierce as other rivalries from the North West, but enough to feature on our list.

Fingers crossed we see more of this pair in the same division in the years to come.

6 Nottingham Forest v Derby County

The East Midlands duo hates each other and often made that known around the Championship grounds, even when they aren’t playing each other.

Derby have been the better side over the years, but Forest are the ones with the promotion under their belt having won the 2022 play-offs.

The years that went before that, though, saw the pair's pure hatred of each other shine through.

5 Burnley v Blackburn Rovers

The North West dominates the Championship in the 2022/23 season, with Burnley, Blackburn, Preston, Blackpool and Wigan all competing at different levels of the division.

The East Midlands duo hates each other and often made that known around the Championship grounds, even when they aren’t playing each other.

The standout fixture, though, is Burnley v Blackburn, particularly with both clubs at the right end of the division.

Burnley have proved to be one of the Championship's best ever sides under Vincent Kompany.

Their rivalry in the EFL again has been entertaining, albeit only brief and one-sided.

4 Aston Villa v Birmingham City

Villa are currently nestled in mid-table in the Premier League, whilst Birmingham float around in the EFL.

The East Midlands duo hates each other and often made that known around the Championship grounds, even when they aren’t playing each other.

It wasn't too long ago that the Second City pair were going up against each other in the Championship, though, with Villa spending three seasons at the level between 2016 and 2019.

Their promotion-winning campaign of 2018/19 saw an incredible run to the play-offs and eventual Wembley win, with Jack Grealish the star.

Earlier in the season, of course, the England winger had been assaulted by a pitch invading Birmingham fan at St Andrew's in a game between the pair where he'd score the winning goal.

3 Stoke City v Port Vale

These two might not be in the same division, but they hate each other, and a Vale meeting with Stoke’s under-23s showed that.

The East Midlands duo hates each other and often made that known around the Championship grounds, even when they aren’t playing each other.

There were violent scenes and plenty of arrests, with the Stoke fans leaving their mark at the ground.

Vale are loving Stoke’s recent demise, though, with the Potters struggling in the Championship since relegation out of the Premier League.

2 Bristol Rovers v Bristol City

The Robins might have a rivalry with Cardiff City, but it is nothing compared to the one they share with them across Bristol.

The East Midlands duo hates each other and often made that known around the Championship grounds, even when they aren’t playing each other.

Rovers and City fans hate each other, with recent history telling us that.

Matty Taylor’s move from blue to red wasn’t greeted well at all by the Rovers fans, who were furious to see him pulling on the Robins shirt at Ashton Gate.

We are cheating a touch here in that this pair haven't faced each other over the last decade in the EFL, yet you can't ignore their rivalry.

1 Swansea City v Cardiff City

Cardiff might have their rivalry with Bristol City, yet this is the one to watch in the EFL.

The East Midlands duo hates each other and often made that known around the Championship grounds, even when they aren’t playing each other.

The South Wales derby is a blockbuster fixture that you cannot miss.