It's going to be a fascinating All-Ireland semi-final as kingpins Kerry find themselves in the unusual situation of being underdogs against a Mayo team seeking to reach a third consecutive All-Ireland final.

We take a look at five talking points ahead of the clash.

Will Mayo prove Larry Tompkins wrong?

Relations between Mayo and Cork were soured further this week when former Rebel player and manager Larry Tompkins claimed the Connacht champions lack the 'stomach' to bridge the 63-year gap to the county's last Sam Maguire success.

It's a charge that James Horan and his players can refute because they have, in fact, demonstrated commendable character to bounce back from their final disappointments of recent years.

The easy thing to do would be to throw in the towel but that is not part of the DNA of the likes of Keith Higgins, Lee Keegan, Andy Moran, Alan Dillon and the O'Shea brothers, to name but a few.

The fitness masters: Cian O'Neill v Donie Buckley

An interesting sub-plot to this weekend's penultimate clash will be the presence of coaches Cian O'Neill and Donie Buckley in opposing dugouts.

O'Neill was a key member of James Horan's backroom team before abdicating to the Kingdom at the end of last year. Buckley, meanwhile, will be up against his native county and he was a valued member of Jack O'Connor's Kerry management team.

Two highly respected strength and conditioning experts, both men boast an in-depth knowledge of the opposition but in this day-and-age of sophisticated analysis, that's probably not as big a deal as it once would have been.

Can James O'Donoghue be stopped?

Kerry's chances of success hinge on the scoring prowess of James O'Donoghue. The Legion ace registered 10 points in the comprehensive Munster SFC final win over Cork and followed that up with 1-3 in the quarter-final against Galway.

Mayo are unlikely to allow O'Donoghue the same space he enjoyed against the Tribesmen and in Keith Higgins they would appear to possess the player best suited to a man-marking role on the free-scoring Kerry forward.

Higgins will need some help from his defensive colleagues but if they can limit his impact then Kerry could struggle to come up with a Plan B.

Eamonn Fitzmaurice v James Horan

The sideline battle of wits between two of gaelic football's brightest managers will have a big bearing on the final outcome. Both Fitzmaurice and Horan are amongst the new breed of inter-county manager and have proven themselves as shrewd tactical operators.

Fitzmaurice's game-plan worked a treat against Cork in the provincial decider but some tweaking will have been required following their quarter-final victory over Galway.

Horan's calm sideline demeanour reflects a manager who has confidence in his players once they cross the white line. Only one can emerge on Sunday with their reputation enhanced.

Are the winners capable of going all the way?

Most neutrals out there will be throwing their support behind Mayo's bid to land gaelic football's holy grail. If ever there was a set of players who deserved to get their hands on Celtic Cross souvenirs then it is captain Andy Moran and his team-mates. They know better than most that it doesn't work that way though.

The loss of Colm 'Gooch' Cooper at the start of the year, meanwhile, spelt bad news for Kerry's bid for a 37th outright success but they have coped admirably in his absence.

Whoever gets through will face an almighty challenge against Dublin or Donegal on Sunday, September 21st - but first things first!

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