To one side, the most expensive right back in history. To the other, a World Cup winner.
No pressure then for Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Eric Garcia, the teenaged Manchester City defensive pairing, who may be called upon in much more testing circumstances than this.
That neither looked out of place among such illustrious company as Joao Cancelo and Benjamin Mendy is as high a praise as either could wish for.
If not for Pep Guardiola’s defensive injury crisis at least one of them would have missed out at Deepdale for this EFL Cup third round tie.
Harwood-Bellis’ first team promotion has had to be accelerated in the face of injuries to Aymeric Laporte and John Stones – but Garcia has been knocking on the for door for the past 12 months.
The 18-year-old Spaniard is a relative veteran of this competition – starting in it on three occasions last season and making his Premier League debut against Watford on Saturday.
Guardiola and his coaching staff believe the ball-playing centre back is destined for the top – and on the basis of this 3-0 win, it’s easy to see why he generating so much excitement at the Etihad.
At no point did he look flustered in the face of a Preston attack that tried to put itself about – particularly in the opening stages against such inexperienced opposition.
The home side had their chances – but it was notable how both Garcia and Harwood-Bellis grew in authority the longer the match went on.
Whether they are ready to be thrust into the serious business of the Premier League is another matter.
Guardiola will be desperate to see Stones return as soon as possible to ease the pressure on Fernandinho and Nicolas Otamendi.
But he will have no doubts about the temperament of either of his two young centre backs after cruising through the test posed by Preston.
