SOPRON (EuroLeague Women) – The 2018 Final Four is set to be one of the most special in memory and that is due to a pair of potentially explosive matchups in Friday’s Semi-Finals.

Dynamo Kursk v UMMC

Outlook: They are domestic rivals, giants of this competition and many people are predicting the winner of this Semi-Final will progress to the top of the podium on Sunday. The respective rosters read like a 'Who's Who?' of the women's basketball world. Holders Dynamo Kursk are on a 34-game EuroLeague Women winning streak, but UMMC have had their number in the Russian Premier League. It could be epic.

Key Match-Up: Sonja Petrovic and Alba Torrens are likely to do battle on the wings and that is a duel which we have seen many times down the years. Two dynamic and headline stars of the global FIBA game, how they both play for their respective sides should have a huge bearing on the outcome. Nobody has shot the ball better from downtown than the Regular Season MVP, Petrovic, who has been playing with real rhythm and showcasing some of the best basketball of her illustrious career.

Killer Question: Will this game all be about who has the most joy cleaning up on the glass?

Trivia: Alba Torrens is one of only two players who has been crowned EuroLeague Women MVP more than once during the last decade. The other is her former teammate Diana Taurasi, who leads the way with 3 MVP awards.

Sopron Basket v Yakin Dogu Universitesi

Outlook: Final Four hosts Sopron head into this game with partisan home support that guarantees to make a super atmosphere and get right behind the underdogs. Yakin Dogu Universitesi will be clear favorites and want to make Sunday's title game at the first attempt, since this is their maiden Final Four. A quick-fire start will be their aim, as silencing the noisy home fans could be vital.

Key Match-Up: Courtney Vandersloot is having the season of her life for Yakin Dogu and with a jaw-dropping, near 10 assists per game, Sopron can't afford to let her dictate the tempo and pull the strings or they will be dead in the water. The warning is that if you stop Vandersloot creating, she might just remind everyone of her ability to score herself in the lane by getting to the hoop. Sopron's own backcourt dynamo Yvonne Turner was on fire in the Quarter-Finals decider against Fenerbahce. That kind of offensive splash will be needed again, but if she forces it too much, it could hurt her team. How she balances the need to be aggressive, but efficient, could be vital – as will how she handles Vandersloot at the defensive end.

Killer Question: Can Sopron stay competitive off the back of their defense and hold Yakin Dogu Universitesi to below 70 and ideally, under 60 points? The uglier the game is, the more beautiful the night could become for the underdog hosts.

Trivia: Ann Wauters is one of only two European-born players who has been MVP of the Final Four since 2004.

FIBA