The waiting is almost over for the biggest match in European club soccer.

Today, in Porto's Estádio do Dragão stadium, English Premier League rivals Manchester City and Chelsea face off for the chance to be crowned champions of Europe.

Here is what you need to know about the 2021 Champions League final.

Chelsea has the head-to-head advantage

They say form counts for nothing in a match where the stakes are this high. But Chelsea will surely take confidence from the fact it has beaten City twice in three matches this season. While City won the first Premier League meeting 3-1, in January, Chelsea triumphed earlier this month at the Etihad Stadium.

Perhaps the biggest psychological edge for Chelsea will be from the FA Cup semi final in April. The Blues beat favorites City 1-0 and restricted their rivals to few clear-cut chances. That being said, Chelsea went on to lose the final to Leicester City and City comfortably won the league as Chelsea finished fourth.

An intriguing midfield battle

This match looks likely to be won and lost in midfield, where a ferocious battle between some of the world's best players awaits. Both sides have fully fit squads to choose from which means City is likely to line-up with surprise top scorer Ilkay Gundogan and creator-in-chief Kevin De Bruyne. Both players have had stand out seasons – De Bruyne for his relentless chance-making and Gundogan for his elegant passing and eye for goal.

Attempting to stop them will be the key role for N'Golo Kanté. The Chelsea man has turned 30 but, when on top form, remains a tireless performer capable of snuffing out the biggest threats. Chelsea will not only be about containing City, and will probably choose two midfield creators from Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech. The experienced Fernandinho or Rodri will be tasked with protecting City's backline.

City seeks first Champions League trophy

This will be the first time City has played in a European final for more than half a century. That win in 1970 against Górnik Zabrze handed City the Cup Winners' Cup. It is the club's only European trophy to date. Should City triumph today, it will become the sixth different English club to be a European champion. The previous winners include Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester United and Nottingham Forest.

The fifth club in that list is Chelsea. Against the odds, it won the Champions League for the only time nine years ago, beating Bayern Munich on penalties. But it also knows the pain of losing a final. In 2008, Manchester United beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties.

Both managers eye history

Thomas Tuchel has already written his own page, becoming the first man to lead different clubs to successive Champions League finals. Last season, he took Paris Saint-Germain to the final before losing to Bayern Munich. Since joining Chelsea in January, he has done a fine job but, after losing the FA Cup final, will be desperate to claim this prestigious piece of silverware.

"It is about hunger and always on the highest level in sport it comes down to how bad do you want it?," Tuchel said, as reported by BBC Sport.

"I have felt us very concentrated, focused and disciplined in the build-up this week."

In the opposite dugout, Pep Guardiola is bidding to win Europe's biggest club prize for the third time after securing the trophy with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011. If he is successful, he will become only the sixth coach to win the competition with two different clubs. At times, Guardiola has been accused of "overthinking" his approach in the Champions League. For this match, he says there are no doubts.

"I know exactly the way we want to play, with who we're going to play and I'm not going to bother them much," he said.