Galway and Donegal face off at Pearse Stadium this Sunday with both sides eager to continue their unbeaten starts to their league campaigns.
It may be too early to call it a crunch match, but it is certainly the premium game of the weekend. Especially after Donegal leapfrogged the Tribesmen in the league table after Galway surrendered a point to the Derry fightback last weekend.
Pádraig Joyce would have been relieved to leave Celtic Park honours even. It was an incredible second half performance from Derry, who fought back to outscore Galway 0-12 to 0-3 in a thrilling second-half.
However, such a response would have been the last thing Joyce and his side would have expected. Galway went from leading by nine points at half-time to being inches away from defeat only for John Daly's heroic block on Ethan Doherty with 10 seconds to play.
Galway were fantastic in the first half. The Tribesmen look completely at ease with the new rules, with Shane Walsh making the two-pointers his trademark. The star forward finished the game with 0-8, two scores being two-pointers.
John Maher had the game in the palm of his hand at the interval as he put in a phenomenal first half display. It was Maher who set up flying half-back Dylan McHugh to fire into the Derry net after nine minutes.
But Derry, inspired by substitute Lachlan Murray, transformed their fortunes in the second half to earn their first point of the season.
Donegal capitalised on Galway's dropped points with victory over last year's All-Ireland winners Armagh. Michael Murphy marked his return to inter-county football with a win as Donegal made it three from three with an eight-point win.
Jim McGuinness' side will be eager to lay down a further marker and get revenge against the side that dumped them out of last year's All-Ireland semi-final.
Equally, Galway will be keen to get back to winning ways and reclaim top spot in the national football league.
It promises to be a thrilling encounter at Pearse Stadium with throw-in at 3.45pm. The game will also be broadcast live on TG4.
