Finbarr Roarty tries a shot on goal and it looks like it's going harmlessly wide but Rory Beggan has to dive in the Monaghan goal to cover his post.

Conor O'Donnell does get a score for Donegal though and doubles their lead.

Michael Bannigan the Monaghan captain shoots over off his left boot.

Conor McCarthy kicks Monaghan's third wide.

Lightening counter from Donegal right down the heart of the Monaghan defence and it leaves Eoghan Ban Gallagher straight through on goal, but he sees the whites of Rory Beggan's eyes and has his effort saved.

Finbarr Roarty mops up the rebound and taps over.

Ciaran Moore drops the shoulder and gets away from Aaron Carey before he is fouled.

This should be a simple free for Michael Murphy.

Wow - Michael Murphy sends it wide, Donegal's first.

That man again, Oisin Gallen throws a dummy which takes Ryan O'Toole out of the play and he curls over.

Conor McCarthy fists over Monaghan's first score and that is greeted by a huge roar also.

There's some buzz in here for this one.

Gary Mohan kicks both Monaghan and the game's second wide.

Oisin Gallen fires Donegal in front and that score is greeted by a huge roar.

Michael Langan tries an early long ball into the area towards Michael Murphy but Monaghan cut it out.

That was like the move for Murphy's 2012 All-Ireland final goal.

Monaghan kick the game's first wide.

Gary Mohan of Monaghan and Hugh McFadden contest the throw-up as Roscommon referee Paddy Neilan throws the ball in.

Both sides are ready for this intriguing Ulster derby at Croke Park.

Image source, Inpho

Image source, Inpho

Both Jim McGuinness and Gabriel Bannigan have made late changes to the teams they named midweek.

For Donegal, Jason McGee is replaced by Hugh McFadden at midfield while Caolan McColgan replaces Daire O Baoill at right half forward.

On the Monaghan team, Gary Mohan returns from injury to start at midfield in place of Gavin McPhillips while Jack McCarron who has been used as an impact sub drops to the bench and is replaced by Ciaran McNulty at corner forward.

Beating Dublin in a 2005 All-Ireland quarter-final replay was the catalyst for Tyrone's march to Sam Maguire, and Owen Mulligan - one of the heroes of that team - believes victory for the current crop of Red Hands over the Dubs can do likewise.

In the drawn game 20 years ago, Mulligan scored one of the greatest goals seen on a football field when selling a pair of dummies before thumping past Stephen Cluxton to bring Tyrone level.

Mickey Harte's men would win the replay with Mulligan again finding the net, before taking down Armagh in the semi-final and defeating Kerry in the decider to win a second All-Ireland title in three years.

The Cookstown man was part of the Tyrone golden generation which claimed a third triumph in 2008, but his goal against the Dubs is one of of those moments that is replayed and revered to this day.

"My sister Michelle text into the family WhatsApp group 'happy anniversary' and I thought she was on about my mother and father," Mulligan said, speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Sportsound.

"You can be remembered for far worse in the GAA. I was privileged to be part of a great Tyrone team with the glory years but the significance of that goal has followed me around.

"It's nice to go to these matches and have people coming up, no matter what county they are, shaking your hand and saying 'you scored the best goal in Croke Park ever', it does make you proud."

Read more from Mulligan on the game here.

Image source, Inpho

It's a third game in 13 days for Donegal and a six day turnaround from their preliminary quarter-final win over Louth in Ballybofey which has irked the ire of Jim McGuinness and the Tir Chonaill county board, dominating the lead in to this potentially epic all-Ulster affair.

On the team front - Jim McGuinness has named the exact same side which comfortably dealt with Louth last Sunday.

That means Jason McGee will partner Michael Langan at midfield, Daire O Baoill keeps his place at right half forward with the formidable Michael Murphy and Oisin Gallen inside.

Donegal have named the same bench which boasts names such as captain Patrick McBrearty, Jamie Brennan, Caolan McColgan and Hugh McFadden amongst others.

Gabriel Bannigan and Monaghan have had the benefit of a weeks break after topping their round-robin group and certainly should be the freshest team left in the competition.

Today will mark their fifth championship clash this year, that's the least amount of game played by any team still standing in the race for Sam.

Bannigan makes two changes to the side which beat Down a fortnight ago. Gavin McPhillips replaces Killian Lavelle at midfield while Jack McCarron who had been used as an impact sub is named to start in the place of Stephen Mooney at corner-forward.

The one change to the Farney bench is a real plus as Gary Mohan returns from injury to take his place on the replacements.

Donegal: Sean Patton; Finbarr Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ryan McHugh, Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Ciaran Moore; Jason McGee, Michael Langan; Daire O Baoill, Ciaran Thompson, Shane O'Donnell; Conor O'Donnell, Michael Murphy, Oisin Gallen.

Subs: Gavin Mulreany, Stephen McMenamin, Odhran McFadden-Ferry, Eoin McHugh, Odhran Doherty, Aaron Doherty, Patrick McBrearty, Jamie Brennan, Niall O'Donnell, Caolan McColgan, Hugh McFadden.

Monaghan: Rory Beggan; Ryan Wylie, Kieran Duffy, Dylan Byrne; Ryan O'Toole, Dessie Ward, Conor McCarthy; Michael McCarville, Gavin McPhillips; Aaron Carey, Michael Bannigan, Ryan McAnespie; Jack McCarron, Andrew Woods, Stephen O'Hanlon.

Subs: Kian Mulligan, Ronan Boyle, Louis Kelly, Darren Hughes, Gary Mohan, Ciaran McNulty, Jason Irwin, Killian Lavelle, Stephen Mooney, David Garland, Karl O'Connell.

Referee: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon)

Image source, BBC Sport

Tyrone All-Ireland winning defender Gavin Devlin believes kick-outs will be important in the Red Hands' All-Ireland quarter-final against Dublin.

Malachy O'Rourke's side have had the benefit of a week off after topping their group, whilst Dublin had to overcome Cork in their preliminary quarter-final.

Devlin, who worked with Micky Harte at Tyrone, Derry and Louth, acknowledges the last eight tie is a tough one to call, but he backs the Red Hands to edge past the Dubs - if they can get the kick-out right.

"It's the mouthwatering game that stood out from the off and it's two teams who will think they have a chance," he told BBC Sport NI.

"Kick-outs now are monumental and it's a platform to build from. A lot on Saturday will come down to kick-outs, it's who can control their own kick-out and get their hands on the ball and who can get after the other kick-out and steal possession.

"Whoever does that will win the game."

Devlin, who won the Sam Maguire in 2003 and 2005, thinks that Dublin will be a much bigger threat if captain Con O'Callaghan is fit to feature after he missed the win over Cork.

"There's a lot made about Con last week and if he was available or not, we are not privy to the inside, maybe Con just was not available but if he was available and Dessie [O'Farrell] just decided not to put him in it was a gamble that paid off now he has the benefit of an extra week," he added.

"Everyone knows how important he is and Dublin still have those household names and characters that can turn the game. They're not the giants they once were but they still have transitional moments where they break forward and every pass is forward, and they have the know-how.

"Tyrone will be under no illusions of what they have to do to shut it down."

Devlin, who now manages Derry club Magherafelt, also praised Tyrone's steady improvement under O'Rourke and hopes they are starting to peak at the right time.

"I've been really impressed by Tyrone although they got relegated in the National League, they left a lot of points behind but against Armagh they showed serious resilience and to top the group the way they did, with that win in Ballybofey against Donegal, it shows serious belief is with Tyrone."

Image source, Inpho

Chrissy McKaigue says he does not think it is fair for Donegal to have a six-day turnaround for this weekend's All-Ireland quarter-final, but believes the row may ultimately extract the required performance from Jim McGuinness' players.

In a statement on Monday, Donegal said the "welfare of our players was not adequately considered" after their request for a Sunday fixture was turned down.

The Ulster champions beat Louth in the preliminary quarter-finals last Sunday and will face Monaghan at Croke Park on Saturday (16:00 BST) for a place in the last four.

Galway, who also won a preliminary quarter-final on Sunday, have been given an extra day to prepare for their last-eight encounter with Meath, which throws in at 13:45 this Sunday.

Donegal had to play four games to retain their Ulster title before playing three All-Ireland group games. Having failed to top their group, they needed to beat Louth in a preliminary quarter-final to reach the last eight proper.

The Monaghan quarter-final will be Jim McGuinness' side's ninth game in a 12-week window, but McKaigue - a two-time Ulster Championship winner with Derry - said it points to a wider structural problem with the GAA calendar.

"I can be accused of being biased in Ulster because I'm living in Ulster, but there's no other provincial championship that's as competitive as Ulster," said McKaigue.

"Most of Ulster teams in the year past were in Division One or Two, so theoretically the ability and level they're playing at is much higher.

"There's much of the structuring of the way things run that are unfair. For Donegal to have to go through a preliminary round in Ulster and where they're at now, I don't think it's fair but it's symptomatic of the way the GAA has been run for years."

Image source, Inpho

The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship has reached the business end with eight teams remaining in the race for Sam Maguire.

All roads lead to Croke Park from here, starting with two quarter-final double-headers this weekend as last week's preliminary quarter-final winners - Kerry, Dublin, Galway and Donegal - join the four group winners - Tyrone, Meath, Monaghan and defending champions Armagh.

The latter four all enjoyed a week off and after a gruelling group phase, rest and recovery will do them no harm going into this weekend.

For those four who are facing into their third championship game in as many weeks, there is momentum as they know one big performance will secure a semi-final place in a fortnight and a well-earned rest.

Galway proved last year it is possible to reach the decider despite playing that extra game, so all eight teams will know they are in play and it is time to empty themselves to keep their hopes alive.

Read David Mohan's comprehensive guide to this weekend's action here.

A reminder of this weekend's fixtures and the all-important throw-in times.

Image source, BBC Sport

Just eight remain in the All-Ireland senior football championship and it's all straight knockout within the compounds of Croke Park between now and someone lifting the Sam Maguire Cup at the steps of the Hogan Stand in a month's time.

Today here at GAA headquarters we mark the first of those blockbuster double-headers with an Ulster derby between Ulster champions Donegal and Monaghan at 16:00 BST.

These two have already met in this year's championship with Donegal running out two-point winners at Clones in their provincial last eight tie on Easter Sunday.

Then at 18:15 BST, it's Tyrone who square up to Dublin. The Red Hands have not beaten the Dubs in the championship since their 2008 quarter-final meeting, the boys in blue winning their last six championship meetings including two quarter-finals and one All-Ireland final.

Tomorrow - Galway square up to Meath and the All-Ireland champions Armagh face Kerry.

But that's for tomorrow and we are perfectly placed here at level seven of the Hogan Stand to make sure you don't miss a second of the action with live text commentary of both games with reports and reactions to follow.

Enjoy!

Image source, Inpho