Crystal Palace and Cardiff City meet on Tuesday night at Selhurst Park hoping to take a significant step towards Wembley.
Dougie Freedman and Malky Mackay's respective Championship rivals have enjoyed memorable Carling Cup campaigns and are within touching distance of the final.
Ahead of the first leg of their semi-final, which can be seen live on Sky Sports HD1/1, both clubs have seen off Premier League opposition and it cannot be questioned they deserve their place.
Cardiff have endured an eventful route to the last four, having required extra-time to knockout Oxford United and Huddersfield Town, before penalties were needed against Leicester prior to comparatively straightforward wins over Burnley and Blackburn Rovers.
Palace have made even greater headlines during their progress to the semi-finals after their famous win at Manchester United in the last eight followed a victory over Crawley Town and the shock eliminations of Wigan Athletic, Middlesbrough and Southampton.
At the start of the season, both sides would have prioritised the league and, with Cardiff chasing the Championship's automatic promotion places and Palace just three points off the play-offs, that could remain the case.
But with silverware now in sight, there is little doubt both Freedman and Mackay will be determined to secure a first-leg advantage in the battle to meet either Manchester City or Liverpool in the final.
For Palace, after their famous win at Old Trafford in the quarter-finals, there is a danger a semi-final against Cardiff could be seen as somewhat of an anti-climax, however, Freedman will not want his excellent rebuilding work to be undermined.
Palace, though, do have problems and they will leave it as late as possible to name their team because of a virus which has hit Selhurst Park.
Julian Speroni, Paddy McCarthy, Anthony Gardner, Nathaniel Clyne, Mile Jedinak and Sean Scannell have all been forced on to the sidelines.
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