Colo-Colo vs Universidad: The Winner-Takes-All Clash Which Sparked Chile's Biggest Rivalry

Colo-Colo vs Universidad is part of 90min's 50 Biggest Derbies in the World Series.

There's an old adage that surrounds just about every derby in the world: the form book goes out of the window. That's right, when it comes to the biggest clashes in football, talent and ability is often relegated as secondary to blood, guts and unpredictability. 

But that expression must not have reached Chile just yet. When it comes to the biggest domestic matches in the South American country, one battle stands taller and prouder than the rest. 

Colo-Colo versus Universidad de Chile. The two biggest, most heavily-supported and most successful teams in Chile, both based in the capital city, Santiago. It's a complete, well-balanced recipe for a tasty derby.

But before you launch that form book of yours through your bedroom ventana, there is something you should know. These two teams are responsible for the most one-sided derby in world football. 

Of the 234 official meetings, Colo-Colo have won a whopping 106 - 44 more than their rivals Universidad de Chile. And on top of that, Los Albos haven't lost to La U in their last 13 meetings, a run stretching back to 2013. Soul - and derby-destroying stuff. 

So what exactly is keeping this rivalry alive, and how did it all start? Well, as with all derbies, this contest is steeped in history, hurt, and of course, a deep hatred for the opposition.

The game which lit this particular touch paper came in 1959, when the two sides were battling it out for the top-flight title. Colo-Colo were closing in on the victory as the weeks ticked by, and another trophy looked set to be heading towards the Eterno Campeon. 

But Los Albos still had to face La U in their penultimate match of the season, and it was the last-chance saloon for their second-placed rivals. Colo-Colo took a two-goal lead inside 40 minutes, and champagne bottles could be heard popping around half of the city of Santiago. 

But the corks were shoved back in and the bottles were slammed back on ice by the end of the 90 minutes, as Universidad de Chile roared back to complete a dramatic 3-2 turnaround, taking the season to the final day. 

The last round of fixtures saw the two sides end level on 38 points, and a special winner-takes-all playoff match was arranged to decide the winner of the Primera División de Chile 1959. 

Universidad de Chile went on to shock giants Colo-Colo, earning a 2-1 win and lifting the league title for only the second time in their history, and the first since 1940. For Los Albos, it was a devastating and excruciating blow. 

And the misery would continue for Colo-Colo, who could only stand by and watch the Ballet Azul, La U side which won another five titles over the course of the next decade. On the biggest stage in Chilean football, the fiercest contest had been born.

But for many, the rivalry's origins stem even deeper into the clubs' past encounters. 

The two sides first met on 9 June 1935, in an exhibition match between Colo-Colo, a well-established professional side, and Universidad de Chile, an amateur team looking to test themselves against the Chilean football powers. 

Unbelievably, La U gave El Cacique a run for their money, falling to a controversial penalty decision in an eventual 3-2 defeat. But if this game was said to be the start of a new rivalry, that message fell on deaf ears around the city of Santiago. 

The two teams met for a second time in 1938, but despite the exciting initial meeting, the next match was played out in front of an audience of only 800 people. But the third meeting was possibly the most significant, as Los Azules faced Los Albos in an entry exam-style fixture, with the outcome deciding whether the amateur side would be accepted into the 1938 professional league. 

Universidad de Chile held the Chilean giants to a 3-3 draw, and they were subsequently allowed to enter the Primera División as a professional side. It proved to be a game which changed the history of both these illustrious teams forever. 

But it's not only titles and success which marks this historic long-running battle. As with any good derby, there's always a bit of bad blood that lingers, threatening to boil over whenever their paths cross.

A contest between the pair in 1952 saw the referee abandon the match midway through the second half, after Los Albos players reacted badly to the decision of sending off one of their teammates, who then refused to leave the pitch. 

As you can well imagine, it all got a bit feisty. 

The days of 800 supporters standing in a field appear in stark contrast to the 40,000 plus crowds which fill the stadiums nowadays, let alone the millions who tune in to watch the duo duel on live television every year. 

But those early meetings were the catalyst behind Colo-Colo and Universidad de Chile's ever-lasting rivalry, and little did that small handful of witnesses in 1938 know, they were present at the birth of one of football's greatest ever derbies.