Today’s Previews

LEINSTER SFC SEMI-FINALS

Kildare v Louth

Croke Park, 1.45 (GAAGO)

It can be taken as a gauge of Kildare’s slump this season that despite hammering Louth by 16 points less than two years ago, the Lilywhites come into this as 7/4 underdogs.

Louth possess the firepower to punish the poor defending on show last time out against Wicklow, but Kildare’s need is greater today – they have to win to play in the Sam Maguire – and they might just find a way to defy the form book and the market.

Verdict: Kildare

Dublin v Offaly

Croke Park, 4.0 (GAAGO)

When is a two-horse race a preordained stroll? Most likely when one team is 1/500 to win.

Offaly have been unscathed through Dublin’s march of 13 Leinster titles in a row as they have not played them.

They will get a taste of what it is like to face the blue killing machine today and they are hardly going to like it.

Verdict: Dublin

ULSTER SFC SEMI-FINAL

Donegal v Tyrone

Celtic Park, 2.0 (BBC)

Even allowing for Ulster’s football democratic state, this fixture has loomed large over the last 14 years.

Jim McGuinness’s mastery of Mickey Harte’s Tyrone in 2010, ’11 and ’13 set up a rivalry that has ebbed and flowed in recent years. Tyrone strolled to an eight-point win in last year’s preliminary quarter-final, but all has changed since. McGuinness has set his sights on winning Ulster on his return and Donegal should squeeze the life out of a Tyrone side playing like a team deep in transition.

Verdict: Donegal

LEINSTER SHC

ROUND 2

Galway v Kilkenny

Pearse Stadium, 2.0 (RTÉ2)

Rarely has a 32-point win come at such a price – Kilkenny’s Eoin Cody, Adrian Mullen and Eoin Murphy miss out after the Antrim shellacking. With home advantage alongside the aforementioned injuries, the stars seem to be aligning for Galway.

Verdict: Galway

MUNSTER SHC ROUND 2

Cork v Clare

Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 2.0 (GAAGO)

Clare’s late collapse will leave a mark, but they showed they were a match for Limerick in many respects and there was a fluency to their play. Cork can look to the harsh double yellow for Damien Cahalane and the debatable black card for Ciaran Joyce to excuse the Waterford defeat, but the wholesale changes to the starting 15 tell a tale.

Verdict: Clare

Limerick v Tipperary

Gaelic Grounds, 4.0 (RTÉ2)

The league semi-final blow-out against Clare has dialled down Tipp optimism but expect Liam Cahill to get a very different championship tune out of his players. The bye hardly suits them though, especially when Limerick used the first three quarters at Ennis to iron the kinks out from their system.

Verdict: Limerick

JOE McDONAGH CUP ROUND 2

Kerry v Down

Austin Stack Park, 1.0

Kerry produced one of the hurling results of last weekend by comprehensively beating a fancied Westmeath side with Maurice O’Connor and Fionán Mackessy leading the charge.

Verdict: Kerry