Coupe de France preview

Bordeaux goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso is determined to book a place in the Coupe de France final to ensure a "super-exciting" end to the season for Les Girondins.

Carrasso and co occupy 10th place in the league, safe from the threat of relegation but unable to challenge for European qualification.

The cup, however, is giving Francis Gillot's side continued focus in the final weeks as they seek to win the tournament for the fourth time, and the first time since 1987.

He told the French Football Federation's official website www.fff.fr: "You have the goal of going to the Stade de France, and it's especially important for Bordeaux as we have been waiting for it for a while.

"Going to the Stade de France provides a super-exciting end of season and means we are not coasting. The Coupe de France is legendary. There have been League Cups that have been won, that's fine, but it does not have the same flavour."

Their opponents Troyes are second-from-bottom in Ligue 1, four points adrift of safety with three games to play, but Girondins boss Gillot is not taking them lightly.

He told his club's official website: "I saw Troyes play this weekend and they are ready too. It will be a tough game. This is a great team. They have a lot of technical players that can make a difference.

"They are in (19th) position but they do not deserve to be. They have had injury problems at some point in the season."

Troyes, who have never won the cup, beat.Nancy 3-0 in the quarter-finals while Bordeaux booked their place by beating Lens 3-2.

Bordeaux may be without Julien Faubert and Andre Biyoko Pogo, neither of whom trained on Sunday because of knee and hamstring problems respectively.

Evian take on Lorient in the second semi-final on Wednesday.

The home side's Ligue 1 status is far from secure, and they currently sit one point off safety with three to play.

Lorient are eighth, looking to end a two-game losing run and are the most recent cup winners in the last four, having triumphed in 2002.