Saturday March 26

Allianz Football League Division 1

Dublin v Donegal, Croke Park, 7pm (Live on Setanta)

The memory of the bloody nose that Donegal gave them in 2014 still stings for Dublin.

They went into the All-Ireland semi-final against the Ulster side that year as 1/9 on favourites, and the preordained script was supposed to unspool smoothly.

Dublin had hammered everyone out of sight in their previous four championship matches, and their explosive attacking football was expected to exploit a Donegal team deemed to be slightly over the hill.

That looked like a fair assessment when Dublin roared into a 0-8 to 0-3 lead after 21 minutes, but Donegal’s ability to score goals turned the game on its head. They were tactically perfect, and their counter-punching style of play took full advantage of Dublin’s naïve defending.

The manner in which Dublin learned from the harsh lessons they learned that day to win a League and Championship double last year was highly impressive. But the sheer shock of that loss to Donegal in 2014 has never been quite flushed from their nervous system.

It’s why they will take nothing for granted when the two teams meet on Saturday. Because as Dublin defender Michael Fitzsimons admitted this week, Donegal have the ability to improvise and surprise so you have to be wary of them.

“A lot of teams try and replicate what they do or set up similarly enough but they move it fairly well, very quickly,” said Fitzsimons. “So it’s always a bit more of a challenge probably playing someone like them, as opposed to a team that just sets up a blanket without practising it.

"They know how to play quick football. And it’s good football to watch as well. They can play in a few different ways. That’s the challenge. And what we’re looking to do is play good football despite what other teams might set up in front of us, as in if a team are more defensive still, it’s a good challenge for us to try and break it down.

“To continue to play free-flowing football. To continue to play attacking football, despite what you might be facing at the other end.”

The experience of losing to Donegal in 2014 ultimately made Dublin a better team. The all out attacking intent they had shown before that defeat was laudable, but they found out the hard way they had gotten the balance wrong.

Last year it was notable that they gave their full-back line much more protection, and that made them less susceptible to counter-attacking teams. They remain one of the most entertaining teams to watch because of their attacking intent, but now it is anchored to a more pragmatic defensive ethos.

“It can be portrayed that way,” said Fitzsimons. “But most teams play similar enough. I know there’s a few changes and certain teams play a bit more defensive. We probably haven’t gone ultra defensive or ultra conservative. But I’d say Kerry, Mayo and Donegal, at times, have played similar football. I wouldn’t be giving us too much of a pat on the back.”

Dublin are already guaranteed a place in the League semi-finals, but they will not ease up against a team they still feel they have a point to prove against. A win for Donegal will all but ensure they too qualify for the semi-finals, so there is a lot to play for.

And as we have already seen this year, matches between the ‘Big-Four’ of Dublin, Kerry, Donegal, and Mayo guarantee a high level of intensity that has occasionally spilled over into something darker. Every time they meet is an opportunity to lay down a marker and gain a psychological edge, so expect the Dublin and Donegal players to hold nothing back.

“(It’s like that with) any team you play quite regularly and we would play them quite regularly for the last few years,” said Fitzsimons. “Whereas other teams might pop up and down from Division 1 so you wouldn’t play them as much.

“So there definitely is more familiarity and a bit more form there and history. So it probably is a bit more physical and a bit more competitive. But facing any of those teams is a big challenge. We obviously want to play the best. And at the moment, those four teams are probably the best."

Donegal were the form team at the start of the League when they strung together three high-scoring victories over Down, Cork, and Mayo. But since then they have been stung by Kerry and Roscommon.

Rory Gallagher is trying to develop a more attacking brand of football to make the most of the exciting forwards he has at his disposal, but in their last match against Roscommon that evolution appeared to be very much at the expense of their renowned defensive solidity.

If they want to rock Dublin back on their heels again like they did in 2014, then they need to get the balance just right like they did that day.

Dublin: Michael Savage; Philip McMahon, John Cooper, David Byrne; James McCarthy, Eric Lowndes, John Small; Brian Fenton, Denis Bastick; Paul Flynn, Paddy Andrews, Ciaran Kilkenny; Cormac Costello, Kevin McManamon, Bernard Brogan.

Donegal: TBA

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Preview: John Harrington