Derby du Nord
The Derby du Nord (French pronunciation: [dɛʁbi du nɔʁ], Northern Derby) is a football rivalry contested between French clubs Lille OSC and RC Lens, two of the region's most successful clubs. Both clubs are located in northern France, though in different departments: Lille in the Nord and Lens in the Pas-de-Calais. The name can refer to matches involving Lille and Valenciennes as both clubs are located within the Nord department; however, the name historically applies mainly to matches involving Lille and Lens. As a result, the Lille–Valenciennes match is sometimes referred to as the Petit Derby du Nord.
 The derby on 3 May 2015 | |
| Other names | Northern Derby |
|---|---|
| Location | Hauts-de-France |
| Teams | Lille Lens |
| First meeting | 11 March 1945 Division 1 (North) Lille 4–0 Lens |
| Latest meeting | 4 March 2023 Ligue 1 Lens 1–1 Lille |
| Stadiums | Stade Pierre-Mauroy (Lille) Stade Bollaert-Delelis (Lens) |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 117 |
| Most wins | Lille (45) |
| Top scorer | Jean Baratte (9) |
| All-time series | Lille: 45 Drawn: 35 Lens: 37 |
| Largest victory | Lille 5–0 Lens (1950 & 1952) |
The two cities first met in 1937 when Lille were playing under the Olympique Lillois emblem. Due to each club's close proximity towards each other being separated by only 40 kilometres (25 mi) and sociological differences between each club's supporters, a fierce rivalry developed. Historically, the Derby du Nord is underpinned by social and economic differences, since the city of Lens is known as an old, working-class, industrial city and Lille as a middle-class, modern, internationally oriented one.[1] This social class opposition is no longer relevant: both fanbases now come from lower and middle classes.[2]
Statistics
Head-to-head record
- As of 4 March 2023
| Competition | Played | Lille | Draw | Lens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division 1/Ligue 1 | 98 | 37 | 32 | 29 |
| Division 2/Ligue 2 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Coupe de France | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| Coupe de la Ligue | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Championnat de France Amateur (1935–1971) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals | 117 | 45 | 35 | 37 |
Honours
| Competition | Titles won | |
|---|---|---|
| Lille | Lens | |
| Division 1/Ligue 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Coupe de France | 6 | 0 |
| Coupe de la Ligue | 0 | 1 |
| Trophée des Champions | 1 | 0 |
| National total | 11 | 2 |
| UEFA Intertoto Cup | 1 | 1 |
| International total | 1 | 1 |
| Overall total | 12 | 3 |
Other statistics
| Achievement | Lille | Lens |
|---|---|---|
| Division 1/Ligue 1 2nd place | 6 | 5 |
| Division 1/Ligue 1 3rd place | 5 | 2 |
| Coupe de France final | 8 | 3 |
| Coupe de la Ligue final | 1 | 2 |
| Trophée des Champions contest | 3 | 1 |
| UEFA Champions League group stage | 7 | 3 |
| UEFA Champions League knockout phase | 2 | 0 |
| Total of Division 1/Ligue 1 seasons | 64 | 62 |
| Total of Division 1/Ligue 1 games | 2,328 | 2,234 |
| Total of Division 1/Ligue 1 wins | 898 | 827 |
| Total of European games | 126 | 80 |
| Division 2/Ligue 2 titles | 5 | 4 |
References
- Brassart, Florian; Demollien, Nicolas (8 October 2022). "Derby du nord. D'où vient vraiment cette rivalité historique entre Lille et Lens ?". Actu.fr (in French). Retrieved 10 October 2022.
- Nuytens, Williams (2020). La popularité du football : sociologie des supporters à Lens et à Lille [The Populairty of Football: Sociology of Lens and Lille supporters] (in French). Arras: Artois Presses Université. ISBN 2848324066.
- "France - Lille OSC Trophies". Soccerway. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- "France - Racing Club de Lens Trophies". Soccerway. Retrieved 11 October 2022.