08.02. (Wed) 21:00 Barcelona - Valencia

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PROBABLE LINEUPS

BARCELONA Pinto Alves, Pique, Puyol, Abidal Xavi, Mascherano, FabregasSanchez, Messi, Tello

VALENCIA Alves Miguel, Rami, Ruiz, Mathieu Albelda, BanegaPiatti, Jonas, Alba Soldado

Sergio Busquets is a major doubt for Barcelona's make-or-break clash with Valencia after he suffered a gash to his knee in Saturday's win over Real Sociedad.

The defensive midfielder's injury stretches an already long sick list at Camp Nou, with Andres Iniesta, Pedro and David Villa all sidelined.

Coach Pep Guardiola could retain Cristian Tello in attack after the youngster impressed against Sociedad, while Xavi Hernandez, Gerard Pique and Alexis Sanchez are all likely to be restored to the starting line-up after being rested in the weekend fixture.

Valencia coach Unai Emery looks set to recall Ever Banega and Jonas to starting XI after the midfield duo were rested for Sunday's goalless draw at Atletico Madrid.

Los Che need to score to have any chance of progressing to the final, as Carles Puyol's header in the 1-1 draw at the Mestalla last week gives the Catalans the advantage on the away goals rule.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Barcelona are the most successful club in Copa del Rey history, having won it 25 times and finishing runners-up 10 times.

• The Catalan giants haven't lost a competitive match at Camp Nou since September 2010.

• With a seating capacity of just over 99,000, Barcelona's Camp Nou is the largest stadium in Europe.

• Valencia have won just once in their last nine away games in all competitions.

• Los Che haven't won at Barcelona for more than eight years, with their last victory coming in October 2003.

• Roberto Soldado (pictured) is the Mestalla club's leading scorer this campaign with 20 goals.

Prediction

After a series of sub-par displays in recent weeks that has seen them lose ground on Real Madrid in the league, Barcelona will be determined to make sure that they do not get beat here. The visitors are going through a poor run of results themselves, and it is difficult to see them turning it around at Camp Nou.

Editor's Prediction

Barcelona 2-1 Valencia

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08.02. (Wed) 20:45 Milan - Juventus

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AC MILAN Amelia Abate, Bonera, Thiago Silva, Mesbah Ambrosini, Van Bommel, Nocerino SeedorfEl Shaarawy, Ibrahimovic

JUVENTUS Storari Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, De Ceglie Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio Giaccherini, Borriello, Vucinic

Going into the domestic cup tie, injuries continue to be a headache for Rossoneri boss Massimiliano Allegri, who will still be without the likes of Antonio Cassano, Alexandre Pato, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Alberto Aquilani, Mathieu Flamini, Alexander Merkel and Gennaro Gattuso among others.

Veteran stopper Alessandro Nesta is also out due to a muscle strain, meaning either Daniele Bonera or Philippe Mexes will partner Thiago Silva at centre-back. Zlatan Ibrahimovic picked up a three-match league ban for slapping Napoli's Salvatore Aronica, but is available for this match and could indeed start against his former team before his enforced rest. New signing Maxi Lopez is also an option.

On the other side of the pitch, the Bianconeri do not have nearly as many selection concerns, with just winger Simone Pepe likely to skip the high-profile clash through injury. Nonetheless, coach Antonio Conte is expected to provide some turnover in his starting XI.

Marco Storari will replace Gianliugi Buffon in goal and winter signing Marco Borriello should give Alessandro Matri a rest in the central striker role. Leonardo Bonucci should also start in defence. Mirko Vucinic, Alessandro Del Piero and Fabio Quagliarella are all hoping to be the one selected alongside the former Roma player and Emanuele Giaccherini in attack.

DID YOU KNOW?

• AC Milan were defeated in the semi-finals of last season's Coppa Italia, losing over two legs to Palermo by an aggregate score of 4-3.

• This match has not ended in a draw in an official fixture since May 2009, when the two sides fought to a 1-1 stalemate.

• The Rossoneri have the best attack in Serie A so far this season (scoring 43 goals) while Juventus have the best defence (conceding 13).

• Juventus still boast an unbeaten record in all competitions this term, already overcoming Bologna and Roma in the Coppa Italia.

• Claudio Marchisio was the hero the last time these two sides met in a competitive game, scoring two late goals in the Bianconeri's 2-0 win during league play in October 2011.

• Andrea Pirlo made 377 appearances for the Rossoneri over a 10-year spell before moving to Turin on a free transfer last summer.

Prediction

Conte's men should fancy their chances of taking a result away from home due to the hosts' numerous absenteees. If the Bianconeri can keep it at the back, they should be able to come away with a draw or better before the return leg in late March.

Editor's Prediction

Milan 1-1 Juventus

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08.02. (Wed) 20:30 Stuttgart - Bayern Munchen

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PROBABLE LINEUPS

STUTTGART Ulreich Boulahrouz, Tasci, Niedermeier, Sakai Okazaki, Kvist, Gentner, Schieber Ibisevic, Cacau

BAYERN MUNICH Neuer Rafinha, Boateng, Badstuber, Lahm Kroos, Schweinstieger Robben, Muller, Ribery Gomez

Having received his marching orders in the dying minutes of the weekend's draw with Bayer Leverkusen, Cristian Molinaro will be unavailable to Stuttgart for the visit of Bayern Munich. Meanwhile, despite his return home from the Africa Cup of Nations, Ibrahima Traore will be missing for the next couple of weeks with a muscle problem. Arthur Boka is still with his native Cote d'Ivoire at the tournament, meaning that Japan Under-22 international Gotoku Sakai could fill the void at left-back.

After being forced to play Anatoliy Tymoshchuk as a makeshift full-back over the weekend, Jupp Heynckes can welcome Rafinha back into the side following his suspension. Arjen Robben became a father once more on Monday, but is expected to play nonetheless, despite taking time this week to see his wife. Daniel Van Buyen remains a long-term absentee.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Stuttgart have won this competition three times, while their opponents have lifted the DFB-Pokal on 15 occasions.

• Stuttgart's 25-year-old defender Georg Niedermeier represented Bayern Munich as a youth, and although he played for the Bavarians' 'B' side, never made a Bundesliga appearance for the full team.

• The Mercerdes Benz Arena outfit's coach, Bruno Labbadia, represented Bayern Munich as a player between 1991 and 1994.

• Bayern Munich's star striker Mario Gomez (right) started his career at Stuttgart, while Philipp Lahm had a two-year loan spell at the Mercedes Benz Arena.

• Ottmar Hitzfeld, who played for Stuttgart for three years, won this competition on three occasions as Bayern coach.

• The Bavarians won this competition in 1986, beating Stuttgart 5-2 in the final.

Prediction

Both of these teams have started 2012 in inauspicious fashion, and their floundering form could make this the tightest of contests. However, I'd expect the Bavarians' superior quality to see them through - just.

Editor's Prediction

VfB Stuttgart 1-2 Bayern

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08.02. (Wed) 20:00 Mali - Ivory Coast

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COTE D'IVOIRE Barry Lolo, K Toure, Bamba, Tiene Gosso, Y Toure, Tiote Kalou, Drogba, Gervinho

MALI   Diakite Coulibaly, Tamboura, Berthe, Kante A. Traore, Keita, Kone, M. Traore Maiga, Diabate

Cote d’Ivoire waited until the quarter-finals in their game against Equatorial Guinea to underline their pre-tournament tag as favourites. The Elephants’ dominant display against the Nzalang Nacional saw them put three goals past the hapless co-hosts, who looked to have reached their capacity and were lucky to have progressed that far in the competition.
Brimming with enormous confidence (knowing that even their second string can do damage against any team on a good day), the Ivorians will face Mali with the sole purpose of crushing all opposition on their way to a second Afcon title.
A smart gambler would likely place his bet on an Elephants’ victory at the end of this game. They are yet to concede a goal in the competition and they have many options in every department of the squad. But they can be found guilty of overconfidence when it matters most.
However, coach Francois Zahoui has found a way to cull their once attractive but unproductive game and replaced it with a more cautious approach. He is content with grinding out results and keeping a clean sheet while relying on the power of forwards Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and Gervinho to create the opportunities needed to propel the team forward. In midfield they are supported by reigning African player of the year Yaya Toure.
Mali come into this game knowing that they have already achieved more than many people expected of them. After squeezing through the group stages where they won two matches and lost one to tournament favourites Ghana, the Eagles kept their cool to sail past Gabon in the quarter-finals in front of a partisan crowd.
Both of these teams sent the two host nations packing and this will be enormous confidence boosters ahead of the encounter. But the Eagles have been known to crumble when the pressure was applied. At the last tournament in Angola, Mali held so much hope but crumbled in the first round. That is distant memory now.
The Eagles will have in the back of their minds their encounter with the Elephants at the Afcon in 2008 when all they needed in their last group match was a draw to get through to the quarter-finals. However, they bit off more than they could chew as Drogba led the Ivorians to a 3-0 thrashing and eliminated them from the tournament.
Midfield veteran Seydou Keita and the rest of his team will take comfort in the fact that they have already surpassed all expectations of their countrymen this term and will do well to play this game with less pressure than their opponents, who need to prove a point. This could be the tonic that the Eagles need to go on after a gruelling 120 minutes in their last game.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Cote d’Ivoire forward Didier Drogba, who scored his 53rd and 54th international goals in the quarter-final victory against Equatorial Guinea, is married to a Malian woman.

• It is exactly 20 years since the Elephants’ only victory at the Afcon.

• This tournament is seen by many as the last opportunity for the ‘Golden generation’ of Ivorians to win a trophy for the west African nation who are presently the continent’s top ranked team.

• This is Mali’s first semi-final showing at the Afcon since 2004, when they came fourth. They have an illustrious tournament record of reaching the semi-finals five times from seven appearances.

• The Eagles refused to collect bonuses from the Malian FA when they qualified for the tournament as a sign of how committed they are to playing for their country.

• Seydou Keita asked his countrymen to sheath their swords and find peace after their quarter-final victory against Gabon following fighting between government troops and Tuareg rebels in the north of the country.

Prediction

Common sense gives this encounter to the Ivorians but it is possible that they might implode again when it matters most. Expect fireworks in this encounter as these two sides serve a west African derby that is characterised by speed, skill and physical grit.

Editor's Prediction

Mali 2-1 Cote d'Ivoire

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08.02. (Wed) 17:00 Zambia - Ghana

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PROBABLE LINEUPS

ZAMBIA   MweeneN Mulenga, Himonde, Kasonde, Musonda Sinkala, F Katongo C Katongo, Mbesuma, Chansa Mayuka

GHANA Kwarasey Inkoom, Mensah, Vorsah, Boye Asamoah, Badu, Annan, Ayew Asamoah Gyan

It has been a long and arduous battle for both countries to come this far in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, which has been rocked by a number of upsets.

Ghana have by far lived up to their pre-tournament favourites tag despite a few lapses in some of their games. The Black Stars outpaced the Zebras of Botswana in a 1-0 opening group game followed by the Eagles of Mali in a 2-0 fixture before drawing 1-1 against the Syli Natonale of Guinea to top Group D.

The four-time African champions’ quarter-final duel with the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia was a breathtaking one. It was a nervy 120-minute game that ended 2-1 in favour of an extremely exhausted Ghana side. The Ghanaians are within range to annex the trophy for a fifth time.

However, a very disciplined Zambia side led by a determined military officer, Christopher Katongo, stand in the way of the Black Stars clinching the ultimate prize. The Chipolopolo are at a stage that few would have tipped them to reach prior to the 28th edition of the continental showpiece. They have fought in every game as if it were a final and beating co-hosts Equatorial Guinea and pre-tournaments favourites Senegal in the group stage reveals a great deal about coach Herve Renard’s side.

There are no injury or suspension concerns on both fronts and each team is expected to field their best 11 in a battle that will take a brave man to predict.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Zambia coach Herve Renard was an assistant coach of Ghana during the 2008 Nations Cup when the Black Stars finished third.
  
• The captain of the Chipolopolo Christopher Katongo is a military officer and has had his rank elevated following his sterling performance in the competition.
  
• The moniker of the southern Africans, the Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets), was arrived at because the country is endowed in rich copper.

• Ghana have only conceded two goals in the tournament out of four games so far.

• Ghana will be playing their third successive semi-final in a row over the last three tournaments since 2008.

• Coach Goran Stevanovic becomes the second Serbian coach in a row to have taken the west Africans to this stage of the tournament after Milovan Rajevac’s feat in 2010.

Prediction

It is going to be a battle full of fireworks, but at the end of the day a winner will emerge. The Ghanaians look good to carry the day and are by far the safest bet one could risk.

Editor's Prediction

Zambia 1-2 Ghana

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