# Derby du Languedoc

The Derby du Languedoc is a football match contested between French clubs Nîmes Olympique and Montpellier HSC. The name of the derby derives from the fact that Nîmes and Montpellier are the two major clubs in France that are located in the former region of Languedoc-Roussillon.

## History

Montpellier play at the Stade de la Mosson, in Montpellier, Nîmes Olympique play at the Stade des Antonins in Nîmes; the two grounds are separated by approximately 53 miles (85 km). The teams have played 25 matches in all competitions; Nîmes Olympique winning 11, Montpellier winning 7 and remaining 7 games were drawn.
Nîmes Olympique was considered the best club in the region from the 1950s until the early 1980s. This leadership is challenged by the rise of Montpellier in the 1970s. The club gradually weakens Nîmes by recovering many important players like Louis Landi, Michel Mézy or the coach Kader Firoud.

## Head-to-head

The derby has been contested the most in the top division, with 19 matches played in French Division 1/Ligue 1, Nîmes Olympique won 9 matches, Montpellier won 4 and remaining 6 were drawn, in Ligue 2, Nîmes Olympique won 1, Montpellier won 2 and 1 match was drawn, only 2 matches were played in the cup competitions, 1 in Coupe de France and 1 in Coupe de la Ligue with Nîmes Olympique winning the first one and Montpellier winning the latter.

### Statistics

| Competition | Played | Montpellier wins | Draws | Nîmes wins | Montpellier goals | Nîmes goals |
| Ligue 1 | 19 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 25 | 37 |
| Ligue 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 |
| Coupe de France | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Coupe de la Ligue | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 25 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 33 | 42 |

### List of matches
#### League

| # | Season | Date | Competition | Home Team | Result | Away Team | Stadium | Attendance | H2H |
| 1 | 1933–34 | – | French Division 1 | Nîmes | 2–0 | Montpelliérain | Stade Jean-Bouin | – | +1 |
| 2 | 1933–34 | – | French Division 1 | Montpelliérain | 2–4 | Nîmes | Stade de la Croix d'Argent | – | +2 |
| 3 | 1934–35 | – | French Division 1 | Nîmes | 4–5 | Montpelliérain | Stade Jean-Bouin | – | +1 |
| 4 | 1934–35 | – | French Division 1 | Montpelliérain | 0–3 | Nîmes | Stade de la Croix d'Argent | – | +2 |
| 5 | 1952–53 | 11 September 1952 | French Division 1 | Nîmes | 4–2 | Montpelliérain | Stade Jean-Bouin | – | +3 |
| 6 | 1952–53 | 25 January 1953 | French Division 1 | Montpelliérain | 2–5 | Nîmes | Stade de la Croix d'Argent | – | +4 |
| 7 | 1961–62 | 15 October 1961 | French Division 1 | Nîmes | 3–1 | Montpelliérain | Stade Jean-Bouin | 12,348 | +5 |
| 8 | 1961–62 | 25 March 1962 | French Division 1 | Montpelliérain | 3–5 | Nîmes | Parc des Sports | 18,420 | +6 |
| 9 | 1962–63 | 21 October 1962 | French Division 1 | Montpelliérain | 1–1 | Nîmes | Parc des Sports | 15,613 | +6 |
| 10 | 1962–63 | 24 March 1963 | French Division 1 | Nîmes | 1–1 | Montpelliérain | Stade Jean-Bouin | 6,518 | +6 |
| 11 | 1991–92 | 5 October 1991 | French Division 1 | Montpellier | 0–0 | Nîmes | Stade de la Mosson | 20,000 | +6 |
| 12 | 1991–92 | 24 March 1963 | French Division 1 | Nîmes | 2–1 | Montpellier | Stade des Costières | 16,965 | +7 |
| 13 | 1992–93 | 6 October 1992 | French Division 1 | Nîmes | 4–2 | Montpellier | Stade des Costières | 10,586 | +7 |
| 14 | 1992–93 | 12 March 1993 | French Division 1 | Montpellier | 1–0 | Nîmes | Stade de la Mosson | 11,833 | +6 |
| 15 | 2000–01 | 12 August 2000 | French Division 2 | Nîmes | 0–2 | Montpellier | Stade des Costières | 16,400 | +5 |
| 16 | 2000–01 | 30 November 2000 | French Division 2 | Montpellier | 3–1 | Nîmes | Stade de la Mosson | 16,761 | +4 |
| 17 | 2008–09 | 31 October 2008 | Ligue 2 | Montpellier | 1–1 | Nîmes | Stade de la Mosson | 16,115 | +4 |
| 18 | 2008–09 | 10 April 2009 | Ligue 2 | Nîmes | 2–1 | Montpellier | Stade des Costières | 14,853 | +5 |
| 19 | 2018–19 | 30 September 2018 | Ligue 1 | Montpellier | 3–0 | Nîmes | Stade de la Mosson | 20,054 | +4 |
| 20 | 2018–19 | 3 February 2019 | Ligue 1 | Nîmes | 1–1 | Montpellier | Stade des Costières | 18,045 | +4 |
| 21 | 2019–20 | 25 September 2019 | Ligue 1 | Montpellier | 3–0 | Nîmes | Stade de la Mosson | 16,445 | +4 |
| – | 2019–20 | 11 April 2020 | Ligue 1 | Nîmes | DNP | Montpellier | Stade des Costières | – | +4 |
| 23 | 2020–21 | 4 October 2020 | Ligue 1 | Montpellier | 0–1 | Nîmes | Stade de la Mosson | 0 | +5 |
| 24 | 2020–21 | 14 March 2021 | Ligue 1 | Nîmes | 1–1 | Montpellier | Stade des Costières | 0 | +5 |
* ↑ Played behind closed doors due to COVID-19.
* ↑ Played behind closed doors due to COVID-19.

#### Cup

| # | Season | Date | Competition | Home Team | Result | Away Team | Stadium | Attendance | Round |
| 1 | 1995–96 | 14 April 1996 | Coupe de France | Nîmes | 1–0 | Montpellier | Stade des Costières | 21,366 | Semi-finals |
| 2 | 1996–97 | 10 January 1997 | Coupe de la Ligue | Nîmes | 0–1 | Montpellier | Stade des Costières | 8,000 | Round of 16 |

## Records
### All-time top goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Club(s) | Years | League | Coupe de France | Coupe de la Ligue | Overall |
| 1 | José Parodi | Nîmes | 1961–1967 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 | Andy Delort | Nîmes | 2009–2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | Andy Delort | Montpellier | 2018–2019, 2019–2021 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Philippe Vercruysse | Nîmes | 1991–1993 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Salah Djebaïli | Nîmes | 1955–1966 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Toifilou Maoulida | Montpellier | 1997–2001 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Toifilou Maoulida | Nîmes | 2014–2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |

### All-time most appearances

| Rank | Player | Club(s) | Years | League | Coupe de France | Coupe de la Ligue | Overall |
| 1 | Andy Delort | Nîmes | 2009–2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 1 | Andy Delort | Montpellier | 2018–2019, 2019–2021 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 1 | Gaëtan Laborde | Montpellier | 2018–2021 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 1 | Renaud Ripart | Nîmes | 2011–2021 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 1 | Daniel Congré | Montpellier | 2012–2021 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 1 | Fabien Lefèvre | Montpellier | 1991–1997, 2000–2004 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 1 | Florent Mollet | Montpellier | 2018–2022 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 1 | Franck Touron | Nîmes | 1989–1994, 1995–1997 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |

### Results
#### Most total goals in a match

| Goals | Result | Date | Competition |
| 9 | Nîmes 4–5 Montpelliérain | 1935 | 1934–35 French Division 1 |
| 8 | Montpelliérain 3–5 Nîmes | 25 March 1962 | 1961–62 French Division 1 |
| 7 | Montpelliérain 2–5 Nîmes | 25 January 1953 | 1952–53 French Division 1 |
| 6 | Nîmes 4–2 Montpellier | 6 October 1992 | 1992–93 French Division 1 |

#### Longest runs
##### Most consecutive wins

| Games | Club | Period |
| 5 | Nîmes | 1935 – 25 March 1962 |
| 3 | Montpellier | 10 January 1997 – 30 November 2000 |

##### Most consecutive matches without a draw

| Games | Period |
| 8 | 1933 – 25 March 1962 |
| 6 | 6 October 1992 – 30 November 2000 |

##### Longest undefeated runs

| Games | Club | Period |
| 10 | Nîmes | 1935 – 6 October 1992 |
| 4 | Montpellier | 10 January 1997 – 31 October 2008 |

##### Most consecutive matches without conceding a goal

| Games | Club | Period |
| 2 | Montpellier | 10 January 1997 – 12 August 2000 |

##### Most consecutive games scoring

| Games | Club | Period |
| 11 | Nîmes | 1933 – 24 March 1963 |
| 8 | Montpellier | 10 January 1997 – 25 September 2019 |

## Players who played for both clubs

| Player | Montpellier career | Montpellier career | Montpellier career | Nîmes career | Nîmes career | Nîmes career |
| Player | Span | Apps | Goals | Span | Apps | Goals |
| Michel Mézy | 1979–1982 | 78 | 1 | 1965–1975, 1977–1979 | 319 | 20 |
| Laurent Blanc | 1983–1991 | 243 | 76 | 1992–1993 | 29 | 1 |
| Eric Cantona | 1989–1990 | 33 | 10 | 1991 | 16 | 2 |
| Toifilou Maoulida | 1997–2001 | 118 | 26 | 2014–2016 | 74 | 16 |
| Omar Belbey | 2000–2002 | 43 | 1 | 1995–2000 | 113 | 1 |
| Andy Delort | 2018–2019, 2019–2021 | 106 | 47 | 2009–2010 | 3 | 0 |
| Téji Savanier | 2019–present | 151 | 43 | 2015–2019 | 132 | 22 |
| Théo Sainte-Luce | 2022–present | 9 | 1 | 2019–2022 | 34 | 2 |
Players currently playing for their respective Derby du Languedoc club are written in bold.