All-Ireland SFC week three - all you need to know

Peadar Mogan, Ethan Doherty, Stefan Campbell and Mattie DonnellyImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

While Donegal and Armagh are hoping to build on opening round-robin wins, Derry and Tyrone are in need of points

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The games continue to come thick and fast in the All-Ireland Football Championship with all 16 teams in action this weekend.

Saturday and Sunday see teams playing their second round-robin matches before the final round of group games at neutral venues on 15/16 June.

It is a big weekend for the six Ulster teams involved in the race for the Sam Maguire, especially those who lost their opening game.

There is also another highly-anticipated Ulster derby with Derry and Armagh - who had contrasting fortunes in their round-robin openers - facing each other at Celtic Park on Sunday.

What happened last weekend?

Group 1: Armagh 0-16 Westmeath 0-11

Group 2: Donegal 0-21 Tyrone 0-14

Group 3: Dublin 2-19 Roscommon 0-13

Group 4: Louth 3-10 Meath 0-9

Who is playing this weekend?

Saturday

Group 3: Cork v Donegal, Pairc Ui Rinn, 14:30 BST

Group 2: Roscommon v Mayo, Dr Hyde Park, 17:00, Cavan v Dublin, Breffni Park, 19:00

Group 4: Louth v Meath, Inniskeen, 17:30

Sunday

Group 1: Westmeath v Galway, Mullingar, 15:00, Derry v Armagh, Celtic Park, 16:00

Group 3: Tyrone v Clare, Omagh, 13:30

Group 4: Meath v Kerry, Pairc Tailteann, 14:00, Monaghan v Louth, Clones 15:30

What to look out for this weekend

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Mickey Harte's Derry face another big test against Armagh after losing back-to-back games to Donegal and Galway

Saturday's opening game sees Ulster champions Donegal travel to Pairc Ui Rinn to face Cork on the back of a comfortable victory over Tyrone in Ballybofey.

Donegal are in the midst of an eight-game winning run stretching back to the middle of their Division Two campaign, a sequence which has included two final wins over Armagh (Division Two and Ulster Championship), a couple of victories over Tyrone and a statement success over Derry.

Victory over Cork would strengthen Donegal's bid to top Group 3 and book their place in the All-Ireland quarter-finals for the first time since 2016.

On Saturday evening, Cavan host Dublin at Breffni Park needing a bounce-back win after losing heavily to Mayo a fortnight ago in Castlebar.

Cavan were disappointing against Mayo, and while they are still missing key marksman Paddy Lynch, Raymond Galligan will demand a strong response for the visit of the free-scoring All-Ireland champions to Breffni Park.

Tyrone are in action early on Sunday as they host Clare in Group Three. Having been well beaten by Donegal, the Red Hands need points on the board before facing Cork in their final group game at a neutral venue.

In Group Four, Monaghan host Louth on the back of a humbling loss to Kerry in their opener, going down to a 10-point loss in Killarney.

This weekend's headline fixture, though, is unquestionably Derry v Armagh at Celtic Park.

It's a huge game for both counties, but while Armagh bounced back from their Ulster final defeat by Donegal with a comfortable win over Westmeath, leaving Salthill empty-handed two weeks ago has raised further questions about Derry.

Fancied by many at the start of the year as genuine All-Ireland contenders, losing to Armagh would plunge Derry deeper into murky waters - especially if Westmeath were to beat Galway to leave the Oak Leafers bottom of Group 1.

Team news - O'Neill returns for Armagh

Rian O'Neill has returned to the Armagh starting line-up for the Derry game.

The Crossmaglen midfielder missed last week's win over Westmeath but has regained his fitness to make the squad for the trip to Celtic Park.

Joe McElroy replaces the injured Conor O'Neill in the half-back line.

Derry boss Mickey Harte, meanwhile, makes two changes from the defeat by Galway with Eoin McEvoy and Conor Doherty recalled to the half-back line, replacing Declan Cassidy and Gareth McKinless, who is suspended after his red card against Galway.

Derry: O Lynch; C McCluskey, C McKaigue, D Baker; C Doherty, E McEvoy, E Bradley; C Glass, B Rogers; E Doherty, C McFaul, P Cassidy; N Toner, S McGuigan, L Murray.

Subs: R Scullion, M Bradley, D Cassidy, M Doherty, S Downey, R Forbes, D Gilmore, D McDermott, C McMonagle, C Murphy, E Mulholland.

Armagh: B Hughes; B McCambridge, A McKay, P McGrane; J McElroy, Ciaran Mackin, A Forker; R O’Neill, B Crealey; T Kelly, R Grugan, S Campbell; O Conaty, A Murnin, C Turbitt.

Subs: E Rafferty, Connaire Mackin, G McCabe, N Grimley, P Burns, J Duffy, O O’Neil, S McPartlan, A Nugent, R McQuillan, J Og Burns.

Donegal boss Jim McGuinness names an unchanged side for the trip to Cork. Eoghan Ban Gallagher is retained at corner-back ahead of Mark Curran while Caolan McColgan returns to the bench having missed last week's win over Tyrone.

Cork: C Kelly; K Flahive, D O'Mahony, M Shanley; R Maguire, T Walsh, M Taylor; I Maguire, C O'Callaghan; P walsh, S Powter, B O'Driscoll; C Og Jones, C Corbett, B Hurley.

Subs: M Martin, S Meehan, D Cashman, T Clancy, K O'Hanlon, F Herlihy, J Cahalane, E McSweeney, R Deane, M Cronin, S Sherlock.

Donegal: S Patton; E Ban Gallagher, B McCole, C Moore; R McHugh, C McGonagle, C Moore; J McGee, M Langan; S O'Donnell, C Thompson, D O Baoill; P McBrearty, O Gallen, N O'Donnell.

Subs: G Mulreany, K McGettigan, S McMenamin, O Doherty, D MacGiolla Bhride, J MacCeallabhui, C McColgan, J Brennan, A Doherty, M Curran, C McGuinness.

Tyrone, meanwhile, have stuck with the 15 that started last week's loss to Donegal. Frank Burns, who has not played this year because of a knee injury, is named on the bench while All-Ireland U20 winner Shea O'Hare could make his senior debut after being included in the 26.

Tyrone: N Morgan; N Devlin, P Hampsey, M McKernan; B Cullen, M Donnelly, K McGeary; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; C Daly, M O'Neill, S O'Donnell; D McCurry, D Canavan, R Canavan.

Subs: O O'Kane, F Burns, A Clarke, P Harte, N McCarron, L McGarrity, C McShane, J Oguz, S O'Hare, C Quinn, T Quinn.

Clare: S Ryan; M Doherty, C Brennan, R Lanigan; A Sweeney, C Rouine, I Ugweru; B McNamara, D Bohannon; D Walsh, D Coughlan, G Murray; C Downes, A Griffin, E McMahon.

Subs: T O'Callaghan, M Garry, D Nagle, J Stack, D O'Donnell, M McInerney, J McGann, E O'Connor, C Burke, S Griffin, J Curran.

Pundit's view - Oisin McConville

On Derry v Armagh:

"It feels like Derry's season could turn on a game like this one way or the other. I think they will beat Westmeath [in the final group game] and qualify OK, but they're making life hard for themselves.

"They're losing bodies week in, week out, injuries and the suspension [for Gareth McKinless].

"It just feels like there's a wee bit more pressure [on Derry]. It feels as if it's a bigger game for Derry but if they can win it, that feelgood factor, finishing top and everything else, there are a lot of carrots for both teams.

"I think Armagh go in with less pressure if that makes any sense."

On Donegal boss Jim McGuinness' energy on the sideline:

"I think he uses that to get some energy through the team. Maybe he realises that a lot of these lads are young and they maybe need to hear or see him.

"Maybe he feels he's got different characters. He had a lot of leaders in the last team, obviously he had [Michael] Murphy as his on-field general so maybe he feels he doesn't quite have that now.

"But he probably feels he can give them that extra bit of leadership from the line so maybe that's why he's up and down the line a lot more and having a lot more to say for himself."

How can I follow on the BBC?

The BBC Sport website will provide live text commentaries, reports and reaction on Saturday and Sunday.