Montreal Impact vs. Toronto FC: Top 5 moments in the 401 Derby

Saturday marks the first 401 Derby match of the 2016 MLS season, with Toronto FC travelling east on Highway 401 to take on its bitter rivals, the Montreal Impact at Stade Saputo.

TFC holds the series' all-time lead at 13-7-7 in all competitions. The hype, as they say, is real:

Here are the top five moments in 401 Derby history:

5. Bienvenue a la MLS, Montreal Impact

When Montreal joined MLS in 2012, the Vancouver Whitecaps welcomed their Canadian opponents with a 2-0 defeat. In its next four matches, Montreal mustered but one point. It was, as expected, a time of tribulations for the expansion side.

That all changed April 7, when the Impact hosted Toronto FC at the Olympic Stadium in front of a crowd of 23,000. Sinisa Ubiparipovic gave Montreal a halftime lead, before Andrew Wenger doubled it with 10 minutes remaining.

Though Danny Koevermans pulled one back for the Reds, it wouldn't be enough, and the Impact's new group of players picked up their first MLS win, against their bitter rivals.

4. Toronto FC's three-year rule

A first MLS win at Toronto's expense was certainly sweet for Montreal, especially considering the three years worth of losses the Impact suffered at the hands of the Reds preceding the victory.

Between 2008-2010, Toronto FC delivered blow after blow against the Impact, then playing in the NASL, including triumphs in the 2009 and 2010 Canadian Championships. In truth, Montreal never came close to picking up a win.

For three years, Toronto FC dominated the Impact. To this day, Toronto hasn't lost to Montreal at BMO Field.

3. Didier Drogba's double-whammy

It took Toronto FC nine years to finally make the MLS playoffs, but their dream of MLS Cup glory ended prematurely by the merciless boot of Montreal striker Didier Drogba.

The former Chelsea man utterly outclassed Toronto's defenders on the final day of the 2015 season, using his crafty footwork to score both goals in a 2-1 win:

Then, just four days later, the teams met in the playoffs, and Drogba scored the first of three first-half goals in a humiliating 3-0 loss at Stade Saputo. Sebastian Giovinco's MVP season ended in misery as Montreal had the pleasure of being the first team to eliminate Toronto from the postseason.

2. The epic smackdown of 2013

Long before the "Atomic Ant" ruled the roost in Canada, Marco Di Vaio represented Italy's goal-scoring merits, and he and his teammates had themselves quite the feast in 2013 during the Amway Canadian Championship semifinals.

Justin Mapp and Daniele Paponi gave the Impact a 2-0 lead before Di Vaio added a third at the stroke of halftime. Andres Romero, Di Vaio, and Wenger then added three more in the second 45 minutes, giving the Impact a resounding 6-0 win.

It remains, to this day, the largest win in 401 Derby history. For what it's worth, the Impact went on to defeat the Whitecaps in the final, too.

1. The Miracle in Montreal

Toronto FC isn't the only team to concede six goals in this rivalry, though. In 2009, the Reds went into Olympic Stadium needing to win by at least four goals to come out on top in the Canadian Championship, then contested in a group stage style between Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

Toronto and Vancouver would be tied for points after four games if Toronto beat the Impact, and only a better goal differential would secure a first-ever trophy for the Reds. It was an impossible feat. Toronto had never scored that many goals before. Then came Dwayne De Rosario:

The Canadian scored a hat trick on route to a 6-1 win on June 18, 2009. Montreal suffered a huge defeat and, to make things even sweeter for the Reds, Vancouver's players watched the trophy slip away from their fingertips from the sidelines.

It's a day that's recognized as the Miracle in Montreal. And it was wild.