All the chat prior to Sunday's Scottish League Cup Final has been about the prospect of Brendan Rodgers winning his first piece of silverware as Celtic manager.

However, that underplays the chances of Aberdeen, who are aiming to win their first trophy since 2013/14.

The Dons and the Bhoys have undoubtedly been the two best teams in Scotland over the last four or five years and Sunday's showcase game will be the first final between the two iconic clubs since 2000 when Celtic ran out 2-0 winners.

Celtic may be unbeaten domestically this season to date but if any team are to defeat them it would be Aberdeen and if at any venue it would be Hampden.

With a 50/50 split in tickets and two passionate, proud sets of supporters, the occasion has the potential to be a modern classic.

These are our THREE big battles on the pitch that will define the result of Sunday's final...

Adam Rooney vs Erik Sviatchenko

Britain Soccer Football - Aberdeen v Greenock Morton - Scottish League Cup Semi Final - Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland - 22/10/16
Aberdeen's Adam Rooney celebrates scoring his sides first goal with Graeme Shinnie
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If Aberdeen are to get anything from the game on Sunday, they'll likely rely on the goals of Adam Rooney.

He scored a last minute winner against St Johnstone in the quarter-finals then again against Greenock Morton in the semis. Those two are part of a tally of nine overall for the season in all competitions.

More importantly, he has a good scoring record against Celtic with five in twelve appearances against the Bhoys.

With Celtic relying on Sviatchenko, it's he that Rooney will have to get by to score. Sviatchenko has only played against Aberdeen four times, with just one of those ending with a clean sheet for the Bhoys.

It's an intriguing battle and if the Dane can keep the Irishman quiet, it's likely to result in a Celtic victory.

Scott Brown vs Kenny McLean

Britain Football Soccer - Celtic v Hapoel Be’er-Sheva - UEFA Champions League Qualifying Play-Off First Leg - Celtic Park - 17/8/16
Celtic's Scott Brown celebrates scoring their fifth goal 
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Kenny McLean has been one of Aberdeen's most effective players for a while now and he's another who scored for the Dons in the semi-final to see them through against Morton.

Confidence is high for McLean who scored twice against Inverness CT in last week's league action.

In Scott Brown, though, he meets a formidable opponent. Brown has played 26 times against Aberdeen for Celtic and has only lost six of them, highlighting the Bhoys' excellent record against them over the last decade.

This midfield battle is going to be heated with both players not afraid to get physical with the opposition. Whoever wins the midfield on Sunday wins the game, and this is the most intriguing match-up within that bubble.

Moussa Dembele vs the Aberdeen defence

Britain Soccer Football - Celtic v Rangers - Scottish Premiership - Celtic Park - 10/9/16
Celtic's Moussa Dembele celebrates scoring their second goal 
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There's no one Aberdeen player that can stop Moussa Dembele when he's on top form - it will have to be a collective effort.

The Celtic striker has scored against Manchester City, Borussia Monchengladbach and went mightily close to equalising against Barcelona in both fixtures against the Spanish giants. He has 16 goals already this season and has scored in every round of this competition so far.

Added to that, he's a big game player and it's when everyone is watching that he's likely to do the unexpected.

Aberdeen have eight clean sheets from their 22 games so far this season, just three behind Celtic's eleven. They are a formidable outfit on their day and if they can keep it tight at Hampden and shut out Dembele like they did at Pittodrie, it's anyone's game.