Coleraine v Glentoran (Saturday, 15:00 BST, coverage on Sportsound)

The Glens are in a good place right now and have improved a lot in recent weeks while Dean Shiels' side are still in a bit of a transition.

I think it’ll be a tight one but the visitors will just nick it.

Prediction: 2-1 Glentoran

Crusaders v Ballymena United (Saturday, 15:00 BST, coverage on Sportsound)

Ballymena have been strong this season and Jim Ervin has them well organised and hard to break down. Crusaders have pulled together a couple good results so this will be a tight game at Seaview.

Prediction: 1-1

Dungannon Swifts v Loughgall (Saturday, 15:00 BST, coverage on Sportsound)

Rodney McAree's side are in a really good place, playing with a load of confidence and with a few smashing young players.

It's hard to see how Loughgall can get something out of this one.

Prediction: 2-1 Dungannon

Glenavon v Carrick Rangers (Saturday, 15:00 BST, coverage on Sportsound)

We've got two teams who are both in decent form right now.

Stephen Baxter has given Carrick a lift since coming in and Glenavon have steadied the ship in recent weeks.

Another close one for me!

Prediction: 2-2

Linfield v Cliftonville (Saturday, 15:00 BST, coverage on Sportsound)

Going to Windsor is always difficult. Cliftonville will want to get kicking on after beating Coleraine on Tuesday, but it's hard to see past David Healy's side in this one.

Prediction: 2-1 Linfield

Portadown v Larne (Sunday, 14:00 BST)

We welcome the champions with optimism and excitement. They’ve just come off the back of a tough European game and if we’re right we can give them a competitive match.

Prediction:N/A (We'll let him off this one!)

Don't forget to join Portadown manager Niall Currie with Michael McNamee on this weekend's Sportsound programme on BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Ulster and the BBC Sport website from 14:00 BST on Saturday.

Image source, Inpho

Crusaders will be striving to improve their home form as they host Ballymena United.

Only Glenavon and Loughgall have taken less points on their home turf than Declan Caddell's men, who are unchanged from last week's draw at champions Larne.

Ballymena make two changes from last week's defeat by Coleraine which halted the Sky Blues' eight-game winning streak.

Crusaders: Tuffey, Blaney, Weir, Callacher, Barr, O'Rourke, Forsythe, Clarke, Stewart, Franklin, Offord.

Subs: Kerr, Lowry, Jewitt-White, Teelan, Owens, Smith, Nixon.

Ballymena United: O'Neill, Rocks, McCallion, O'Donnell, Nelson, Brown, Devlin, Kenendy, Scott, McCurry, McMurray.

Subs: Johnston, Coates, Gawne, Moore, O'Mahony, Devine, Hood.

Image source, BBC Sport

Cliftonville boss Jim Magilton described his side's 2-1 Irish Premiership home success over Coleraine on Tuesday night as an "important" win as they secured a first victory in six games.

The Reds went into Tuesday's game having dropped to the bottom half of the table after a five-game winless run which included defeats by Ballymena United, Larne and Carrick Rangers.

Joe Gormley's two goals - a first-half penalty and 66th-minute strike - earned Magilton's side the victory that moved them up to fifth spot in the table.

"Tonight was important for us. It was the game in hand if you like. We had to produce," said the Cliftonville boss.

Magilton acknowledged that his side's efforts in recent weeks had been "under par" but was delighted with the return to form, adding that his players had performed "really well".

Read more of Magilton's thoughts on the midweek victory here.

Image source, Inpho

It's a battle of 10th v 11th at Mourneview Park as Glenavon host Carrick. Despite their lowly league positions, both of these sides have been on decent runs of form with Carrick unbeaten in three while the Lurgan Blues have lost just one of their last five.

Both go into the game off the back of very good points in Belfast last week with Stephen McDonnell making two changes from their goalless draw at Solitude. In come David McDaid and Barney McKeown for Rhys Marshall and Keith Ward.

After a 1-1 draw at the Oval last week, Stephen Baxter makes just one alteration with Mark Surgenor in for Cameron Stewart in a straight swap at centre half.

Glenavon: Deane, Toure, O'Sullivan, Snoddy, Malone, McDaid, Campbell, Quinn (capt), McKeown, Carroll, O'Connor.

Subs: Byrne, Doona, Lynch, Atherton, Warn, Doran, McGovern

Carrick Rangers: Glendinning, Forsythe, Surgenor, Maciulaitis, McCullough (capt), Buchanan-Rolleston, Clucas, Crowe, Cherry, Heatley, Gibson

Subs: McCauley, Cushley, McGuckin, Allen, Andrews, Given, Trimble.

Image source, BBC Sport

Coleraine will be looking to enjoy some home comforts this afternoon when they play their first game at the Showgrounds since a 3-0 defeat to Linfield here just under a month ago.

They can also take heart from the fact that this afternoon's opponents, Glentoran, haven't tasted victory here since a 2-0 win back in December 2021.

Dean Shiels' side come into this game on the back of a 2-1 defeat at Cliftonville on Tuesday night with the manager making three changes to his starting line-up from midweek.

Graham Kelly is injured while Rhyss Campbell and Ciaron Harkin drop to the bench. In their place come Dean Jarvis, back after a one-game suspension, along with Connor Murray and Corey Smith.

Glens boss Declan Devine, left feeling frustrated following a 1-1 draw at home to Carrick Rangers a week ago, makes just the one change to his side as club captain Marcus Kane returns at the expense of James Singleton.

Coleraine: Little, Jarvis, Boyle, Scott, Shevlin, Murray, McClelland, Glackin (c), McGonigle, Devine, Smith.

Subs: Brown, Campbell, Carse, Harkin, McLaughlin, Gaston, Burns.

Glentoran: Gyollai, Kane (c), Hvid, McClean, Sule, Connolly, Palmer, Donnelly, Fisher, Amos, Thorndike.

Subs: Mills, Lyons-Foster, Aouachria, Parfitt, Lindsay, Jenkins, Douglas.

Image source, BBC Sport

Rodney McAree makes two changes to the side who were 2-0 victors against Portadown with Dylan King starting his first league game this season and Thomas Maguire returning to the team. Leo Alves drops to the bench with Cahal McGinty suspended this afternoon.

Meanwhile, today's visitors Loughgall make four alterations to the starting line-up who began the defeat against Linfield last weekend.

Conor McDermott, Ryan Waide, Nathaniel Ferris and Conor McCloskey replace captain Ben Murdock, Caolan McAleer and Alberto Balde, who are on the bench with Jay Boyd not in the squad.

Dungannon Swifts: Grogan Solis, S. Scott, King, McGovern, Dillon, Glenny, Maguire, McAleese, Wallace, Mitchell, Bigiramana.

Subs: Dunne, J Scott, Curry, Knowles, Boyd, Alves, Galvin.

Loughgall: Gartside, McDermott, Rea, Kelly, Waide, Ferris, Norton, Gibson, Cartwright, Francis, McColskey.

Subs: Turker, Murdock, McAleer, Kerr, Almanzar, Harvey, Towe.

Image source, BBC Sport

Pacesetters Linfield will be looking to further assert themselves at the top of the Premiership as they welcome fifth place Cliftonville to south Belfast this afternoon.

The last time these two sides met at Windsor Park was last season's Irish Cup final, with the Reds winning 3-1 after extra-time. However, their last league win here came back in 2018.

Ironically, the Blues have lost two league games this season to Larne and Glentoran, both of which have come at home.

David Healy makes just the one alteration to his starting XI from the Loughgall game last Friday night, with the in-form Charlie Allen coming in from the start at the expense of Ethan McGee, who drops to the bench.

Jim Magilton also makes one change to his side that beat Coleraine on Tuesday night with Ryan Corrigan dropping to the bench and Ronan Doherty taking his place.

Linfield: Johns, East, Whiteside, Orr, Shields (capt), Archer, McClean, Cooper, Millar, Allen, Fitzpatrick.

Subs: Walsh, Mulgrew, McGee, Ballantyne, McCullough, Annett, McKay.

Cliftonville: Odumosu, Pepper, Addis, Newberry, Pettifer, Kearney, Hale (capt), Doherty, Gormley, Glynn, Steven.

Subs: Ridd, Curran, Donnelly, Conlan, Piesold, Markey, Corrigan.

Image source, BBC Sport

It's a fabulous five-match programme in the Irish Premiership today, with league leaders Linfield's home game against Cliftonville among the most eye-catching fixtures.

The Blues enjoy a two-point advantage over Ballymena United at the summit and the Sky Blues will be keen to bounce back from the disappointment of their derby defeat by Coleraine seven days ago when they travel to Seaview to take on Crusaders.

Third-placed Dungannon Swifts host basement side Loughgall, while Glentoran are on the road at Coleraine and Glenavon play Carrick Rangers.

As always, we'll keep you up to date with all the action as it unfolds throughout the afternoon, with text updates, audio courtesy of Radio Ulster's Sportsound and in-play clips of all the goals and any other key incidents.

We're glad to have your company.