PREVIEW: Dublin v Galway- All-Ireland SFC Round 1

The 2025 Senior Football Championship ramps up a gear this weekend, as Dublin begin their All-Ireland SFC group stage campaign in Salthill on Saturday against Galway (throw-in 5pm).

Dublin have been placed in Group 4 alongside the Connacht champions as well as reigning All-Ireland champions Armagh and Derry. The Dubs will be looking to get back to winning ways after being dethroned as Leinster Champions following defeat to Meath in the Leinster semi-final.

Dublin will need to dust themselves down and focus on three tough challenges that lie in wait. The winner of Group 4 will advance straight into the quarter-finals of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, while the second and third-placed teams will enter the preliminary quarter-finals. However, it’ll be the end of the road for the bottom-placed county, who will see their championship summer come to an end.

Dessie Farrell has plenty of options in attack that he will be hoping can drive Dublin on this summer. Captain Con O’Callaghan and Ciarán Kilkenny are an experienced pair that Dublin management will be looking to make a difference this weekend against last year's All-Ireland finalists, with the likes of the experienced David Byrne and youngster Theo Clancy two defensive options that will relish the chance to go up against some of the best forwards in the country this Saturday.

The two counties have met in championship action 11 times ahead of our Group 4 opener. Dublin have won eight of those meetings, their first win coming in the 1923 All-Ireland final in which we won 0-6 to 0-4. While Galway have won three times, their victory in the All-Ireland quarter-final last year ended a 90-year wait for a championship win over the Sky Blues.

Galway go into this weekend’s game full of momentum. They clinched their fourth Connacht Senior Football Championship title in a row with a hard-fought and deserved win over Mayo at the start of the month.

They also put in convincing displays against New York and Roscommon on the way to another provincial title. Robert Finnerty and Matthew Tierney have had no issue on the scoring front so far this championship and will look to cause Dublin problems.

They have dealt with the loss of Shane Walsh to injury well, with a number of those in maroon and white answering the call to fill the void left by Walsh. Midfielder Paul Conroy demonstrated he can contribute significantly on the scoring front, scoring 0-14 over Galway’s three championship games so far.

The Tribesmen’s captain, Seán Kelly, has stepped up too, showing as well as being a rock at the back, he can also help in attack with points against New York and moving up to midfield in the Connacht final and pointing there too.

Beaten in the 2022 and 2024 All-Ireland finals, Pádraic Joyce’s men will give it all they can this year to get over the line and become All-Ireland champions at last. They knocked Dublin out of the championship last year and will be searching for a second consecutive championship win over the Boys in Blue.

Dublin and Galway have already met this year, with Dublin running out 2-19 to 2-13 winners in the Allianz League back in March. Seán Bugler bagged himself two goals that day, top-scoring for the Boys in Blue; Cormac Costello also had a say, kicking three frees on the way to a total of 0-05 for himself. John Maher and Damien Comer were the two Galway goalscorers that day, and they will be hoping to help Galway start the group stage with a win over Dublin.

You can buy tickets for Dublin’s opening group stage game here.

The game will also be shown live on GAA+ - throw-in 5pm.

Dublin v Galway last five All-Ireland Senior Football Championship meetings:

●      29th June 2024, Croke Park, All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final - Dublin 0-16 (16) - 0-17 (17) Galway

●      11th August 2018, Croke Park, All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Semi-Final - Dublin 1-24 (27) - 2-12 (18) Galway

●      18th September 1983, Croke Park, All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final - Dublin 1-10 (13) - 1-8 (11)

●      29th August 1976, Croke Park, All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Semi-Final - Dublin 1-8 (11) - 0-8 (8) Galway

●      22nd September 1974, Croke Park, Croke Park, All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final - Dublin 0-14 (14) - 1-6 (9) Galway.