Two clubs that have only relatively recently ascended to the summit of European football go head to head for the biggest prize in club football on Saturday when Manchester City take on Chelsea at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto.
Both have histories highlighted with modest success and sporadic trophy triumphs, until takeovers by wealthy foreign owners propelled them to the top of the game.
Roman Abramovich led the way for Chelsea in 2003; the Blues had won just one league title before that, but they have since lifted the Premier League five times - in addition to the Champions League in 2012 and the Europa League twice.
Man City's transformation into a footballing superpower is even more recent, winning five of their seven domestic top-flight titles in the past decade.
The Champions League crown is the one Man City covet more than any other, making Saturday's match the biggest in their history as they chase a treble, while Chelsea will be looking to emulate the heroes of 2012, who toppled Bayern Munich on their own turf to become kings of Europe for the first and so far only time.
Naturally for two teams whose most successful periods by far have come this century, the below combined XI is made up of modern players who have helped to bring them that success.
Many great players passed through both clubs prior to the cash injections, though, and while those golden oldies may not have the trophy haul of their modern-day successors, they will be remembered every bit as fondly by fans.
It is also worth noting that our formation precluded the inclusion of wingers, and so honourable mentions must also go to legendary figures such as Mike Summerbee, Charlie Cooke, Neil Young, Peter Doherty and Billy Meredith.
Here, though, to celebrate the journey both clubs have been through to get to the biggest game in club football, Sports Mole selects the all-time greatest combined XI from the histories of Man City and Chelsea.
Goalkeeper: Petr Cech
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While Abramovich took over at Stamford Bridge in 2003, it wasn't until a year later, with the arrival of Jose Mourinho and the influx of influential players that followed, that their true reign of success began.
Petr Cech is right up there towards the top of the list when it comes to Chelsea's most influential buys, immediately establishing himself as a towering presence between the sticks. A clean sheet on his Premier League debut against Manchester United set the tone for what was to come.
In his very first season at Chelsea, Cech broke the Premier League record for longest time without conceding at 1,025 minutes - stretching almost three months - and the Blues shipped an astonishingly-low 15 goals all term - a Premier League record which still stands today.
Needless to say, Chelsea also won the title that season, one of 15 trophies Cech lifted with the Blues. That haul includes three more league titles, the Champions League, the Europa League, four FA Cups, three League Cups and two Community Shields.
Including a spell with Arsenal at the end of his career, Cech kept an unparalleled 202 clean sheets in the Premier League, and in total kept 228 clean sheets in his 494 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions.
Honourable mentions: Bert Trautmann, Peter Bonetti, Ederson, Frank Swift, Joe Hart, Joe Corrigan
Right-back: Cesar Azpilicueta
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Presuming he does not leave this summer, Cesar Azpilicueta will be the only member of this XI still at one of these clubs next season - a testament to his consistency and quality.
Narrowly pipping his former teammate Branislav Ivanovic to the right-back spot, 'Dave' - as he quickly became known due to his hard-to-pronounce surname - could have also competed for the centre-back spot in this team given his remarkable versatility.
Regardless of where he plays, Azpilicueta's performance levels have rarely dipped since he joined Chelsea in 2012, just months after they were last in the Champions League final.
Since then, the Spaniard has made 427 appearances for the Blues at the time of writing, scoring 14 goals and helping them to win two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League in that time. Success on Saturday would see him join the elite group of players to have won every trophy available to him in the English game.
Voted Chelsea's Players' Player of the Year in 2013-14, Azpilicueta missed just four league games in five years from 2015-16 to 2019-20.
Honourable mentions: Branislav Ivanovic, Pablo Zabaleta
Centre-back: John Terry, Vincent Kompany
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Two titans, and two of the greatest captains club football has ever produced in this country - certainly in the modern era.
Both players were at the club before the mega-money arrived, yet still managed to prove themselves as the heart, spine and muscle of the team as higher-profile superstars were brought in around them.
John Terry was a Chelsea servant for 22 years, arriving in 1995 before coming through the ranks and making his first-team debut in 1998.
Nineteen years, 717 appearances and incredibly 67 goals later, the defensive stalwart said an emotional farewell to his boyhood club, moving on as their most successful ever captain, and the most successful captain in Premier League history.
Terry lifted the league title five times as skipper, in addition to five FA Cups, three League Cups, two Community Shields, the Champions League and the Europa League.
A two-time Chelsea Player of the Year and three-time UEFA Defender of the Year, Terry can lay a strong claim to being Chelsea's greatest ever servant.
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Kompany's arrival at Man City came just before the mega-investment, and he proved to be one of the best bargains of the Premier League era as he inspired the club to trophy after trophy.
Like Terry, Kompany developed an uncanny knack for not just keeping goals out, but also scoring big ones at the other end - most notably one in the Manchester derby en route to the 2011-12 title, and his long-range screamer against Leicester City en route to the 2018-19 crown - both crucial moments in two of the tightest title races in recent times.
In all, Kompany scored 20 goals in 360 appearances for Man City, but both tallies would have undoubtedly been higher had he not been so blighted by injuries throughout his career.
Even so, it speaks volumes that a player who only managed to play more than 28 league games in three of his 11 seasons at the club is so highly regarded, and his influence was perhaps most noticeable after his exit in 2019.
The Belgian left with a fourth Premier League title to his name, in addition to winning two FA Cups, three League Cups and two Community Shields, and being named the Premier League Player of the Season in 2011-12.
Honourable mentions: Ron Harris, Ricardo Carvalho, Marcel Desailly, Mike Doyle
Left-backs: Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole's switch from Arsenal to Chelsea in 2006 earned him widespread condemnation, not just from Arsenal fans but others who felt it was a money-chasing move from a boyhood club to a direct London rival.
Looking back, though, few would argue that it was the wrong decision. Already England's standout left-back, Cole took his game to a new level at Stamford Bridge and achieved the ultimate goal of Champions League glory in 2011-12.
Cole did only get his hands on the Premier League trophy once at Chelsea, but he made up for that with four FA Cup crowns to make him the most decorated player in the history of the oldest football competition in the world.
Add to that a League Cup, Community Shield and Europa League and Cole boasts an enviable trophy cabinet from his Chelsea days, before eventually leaving on a free transfer in 2014.
The England stalwart ended his time at Stamford Bridge having made 338 appearances - 110 more than he did for Arsenal - and with seven goals to his name.
Honourable mentions: Graeme Le Saux, Glyn Pardoe, Paul Power
Defensive midfield: Yaya Toure
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The midfield positions were undoubtedly the most difficult to pick in this team, and switching to a diamond formation did not make things any easier with Claude Makelele, N'Golo Kante and Fernandinho among the deserving names to miss out.
We simply had to include Yaya Toure, though, given the man-mountain's all-around game. At his peak, Toure was arguably the best player in the league and one of few players in world football you could class as genuinely unstoppable.
A powerhouse who also had great pace when into his stride, Toure's passing ability was also world-class, while his goalscoring was supreme for a player who had played in a Champions League final at centre-back.
Toure's influence on Man City's success must also be taken into account, having joined in 2010 as one of the final pieces of the jigsaw to finally win the Premier League title.
The Ivorian was particularly instrumental in City's second Premier League title triumph as he scored 20 goals in 35 appearances in 2013-14.
Toure ended with three Premier League titles, an FA Cup, two League Cups and a Community Shield to his name at Man City, scoring 82 goals in 316 appearances across all competitions.
Honourable mentions: Claude Makelele, N'Golo Kante, Fernandinho, Dennis Wise
Central midfield: Frank Lampard, David Silva
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Ask us again in a year or two and Kevin De Bruyne may well make our midfield, but for now the Belgian maestro just about misses out to his former teammate David Silva.
Silva, like Toure, joined in 2010 to help turn Man City from the 'noisy neighbours' into the Premier League's dominant force, and by the time he left 10 years later he was hailed by many as the club's greatest ever player.
The Spaniard's stats perhaps do not stack up against others - especially the man alongside him in this midfield - but his artistry, genius and influence goes far beyond his 77 goals in 436 appearances.
Even his more-impressive tally of 141 assists in that time does not tell the full story, which you can perhaps only get by asking the players who played alongside him; to a man, they are effusive in their praise.
Silva's quality is also reflected in his trophy cabinet, which boasts four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups and three Community Shields - not to mention a World Cup and two European Championships with Spain.
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If statistical reasoning is what you are after, look no further than Chelsea's record goalscorer Frank Lampard, who like Silva can lay a very strong claim to being the single greatest player in his club's history.
Lampard was tipped for a bright future when he arrived from London rivals West Ham United for £11m in 2001, but no one could have expected him to go on and enjoy such a level of success at Stamford Bridge.
By the time he left 13 years later, Lampard had become the club's best-ever goalscorer from midfield as legendary strikers were left in the wake of his remarkable scoring record.
The England man netted 211 times in his 648 Chelsea appearances, including five consecutive seasons of 20+ goals from 2005-06 to 2009-10 - peaking at 27 goals in the latter year.
Alongside John Terry, Lampard was the bedrock of Chelsea's success during that time, not just surviving the major overhaul after Abramovich's arrival, but thriving and emerging as the first name on the teamsheet.
Lampard helped Chelsea to three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, the Champions League, the Europa League, two League Cups and two Community Shields, as well as being named Chelsea's Player of the Year three times.
The 2004-05 campaign was his most impressive on an individual level, as his role in Chelsea's first title triumph saw him finish second in the voting for FIFA Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or, as well as winning the FWA Footballer, PFA Fans' Player and Premier League Player of the Year awards.
Honourable mentions: Kevin De Bruyne, Alan Oakes, Michael Essien
Attacking midfield: Eden Hazard
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We can almost hear the angry shouts of Chelsea fans as Gianfranco Zola misses out here, but rest assured it was an impossibly tight call which Eden Hazard just about edges.
The Belgian was widely regarded as the best player in the Premier League for much of his time there, and he matched that quality with consistency and reliability, making more than 30 league appearances every year he was at Stamford Bridge.
Hazard's wizardry - usually from the left but often in a free role too - helped Chelsea to two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup and two Europa Leagues, in addition to a plethora of individual awards.
It was the 2014-15 campaign which was arguably his peak as he inspired Chelsea to the title, winning the FWA Footballer, PFA Players' Player and Premier League Player of the Season awards, having featured in every game and scored 14 goals.
Hazard was named Chelsea Player of the Year in four of his seven seasons at the club, and eventually left for Real Madrid having scored 110 goals and created 92 more in 352 appearances.
Honourable mentions: Gianfranco Zola, Colin Bell
Centre-forward: Didier Drogba, Sergio Aguero
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Two iconic forwards, and the greatest strikers in the history of their respective clubs.
Sergio Aguero will hope to get a fitting farewell with the Champions League final representing his last game for Man City, where he has sent records tumbling with his goalscoring exploits.
At the time of writing, the Argentine has scored a club-record 260 goals in 389 appearances for City, and no one would put it past him to add to that tally on the biggest stage.
A winner in the Champions League final may be the only thing which could ever rival the most famous of those 260 goals, as Aguero won Man City the Premier League title on goal difference at the expense of local rivals Manchester United in 2011-12 with virtually the final kick of the season.
It was an unforgettable moment which immediately solidified his place in Man City history at the end of his very first season with the club, and after breaking their 44-year wait for a top-flight title he has been part of the other four which have followed too.
Add to that an FA Cup, six League Cups and three Community Shields, and Aguero already has a bulging trophy cabinet regardless of what happens on Saturday night.
The prolific centre-forward has also left an indelible mark on the Premier League, becoming the highest-scoring foreign player in the competition's history and netting a brace in his final top-flight outing to become the player who has scored most goals for one single club in the division.
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With 'only' 100 Premier League strikes to his name, Didier Drogba is some way behind Aguero in the goalscoring stakes, but ask any Chelsea fan and he will be right up there with Terry, Lampard and Ron 'Chopper' Harris as the club's greatest icon.
Drogba was the ultimate big-game player and the entire Chelsea team on Saturday will be dreaming of emulating his exploits in 2012, when he scored an 88th-minute equaliser to take the Champions League final to penalties, and then scored the winning spot kick to ensure hero status on the club's greatest ever night.
That was by no means a one-off, though; Drogba scored 10 goals in 10 major finals throughout his career, nine of which came for Chelsea as he helped them to four FA Cups and three League Cups, in addition to that Champions League glory.
For some time it looked as though his Champions League-winning penalty would be his last kick for the club, but he returned for a brief second stint in 2014-15 to add a fourth Premier League crown to his list of honours.
A two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner, over his two spells Drogba scored 164 goals and created 87 more in 381 appearances for the Blues, including a particularly productive 2009-10 campaign which saw him net 29 times in just 32 league outings.
Honourable mentions: Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Tambling, Francis Lee, Eric Brook, Kerry Dixon, Peter Osgood, Tommy Johnson
ALL-TIME COMBINED MAN CITY VS. CHELSEA XI
All-time Man City vs. Chelsea combined XI (4-4-2 diamond): Cech; Azpilicueta, Kompany, Terry, A Cole; Y Toure, Lampard, D Silva, Hazard; Drogba, Aguero
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