Ahead of the All-Ireland SFC final between Armagh an Galway at Croke Park, RTÉ GAA analysts and guests gave their view and how Sunday's match would pan out.
Ciarán Whelan
Probably the most difficult All-Ireland to predict in many years with nothing between the teams. Both teams battle hardened, strong defensively and improving with each game.
Without great confidence I am leaning towards a very tight Armagh win. Why? I just think they have more scope for them to mix things up differently.
They can get reward from Galway's long kickout strategy and if they can force more turnovers defensively to allow them counter attack at speed they could reap benefits.
Armagh's challenge will be their shot efficiency from distance as Galway probably have the edge defensively and they will also get enough shots off from their attacks as they are excellent in possession.
Armagh must be in the game with 15 minutes to go where they can unleash the bench, get momentum and get energy from their supporters.
However, there is always the danger of Damien Comer and Shane Walsh catching fire and Sam could be heading west. Armagh to just about shade it but it may need extra time, again.
Verdict: Armagh
Éamonn Fitzmaurice
I think it's going to be a draw. I think it's going to be a draw after extra-time, and I think we're going to get another day out on 10 August.
Galway do have the experience of two years ago. They've progressed their squad since then, and the management has that experience as well.
All of the logistics that go with it - the county board, their analysis guys, everything that goes with an All-Ireland - they've been there, done that, and I'm sure they learned plenty of lessons two years ago around the preparations and the game itself.
For Armagh, they have the freshness and the momentum.
They're two brilliant managers with two brilliant management teams, they've huge squads, and benches that match each other.
The games over the last couple of years tell us there's nothing between them.
Verdict: Draw
Peter Canavan
I do believe it's going to be very tense. For all the talk of Galway's marquee players and their defence, they've only conceded one goal, and who scored it? Armagh.
Defences are so adept now and well set up, and it's hard to penetrate them and get goals. But so many goals have come from high balls into the edge of the square. A couple of years ago, Armagh got three goals against Galway from high balls into the square.
Considering they've got two small corner-backs, it could be an option at some stage, be it Oisín O'Neill or Rian O'Neill, to go in there. If Armagh are going to find the net, it may well be the result of a long ball.
From my perspective, in terms of who is going to win it, all the logic to me points to a Galway victory, in that they've been there two years ago.
They know how to deal with the razzmatazz, and the experience of playing in an All-Ireland final in itself is invaluable.
If you go through the various lines on the pitch and compare Galway's full-back line to Armagh's full-back line and do the same at half, midfield, and up the pitch, I find myself saying Galway have the upper hand.
Galway have so many advantages on paper, but I believe in fairytales, and there's something about Armagh this year.
Even earlier this year, a lot of commentators said the best game Galway played this year was in Sligo against Armagh, but they still didn't win it.
There's something that tells me the vibe in Armagh, the Kieran McGeeney factor, the Jarlath Burns factor, that it's going to be their year.
I'll go against what my head tells me and go for Armagh.
Verdict: Armagh
Paul Flynn
Looking to the respective sidelines on Sunday, Pádraic Joyce and Kieran McGeeney are iconic figures within their own counties.
They are legends within their counties, regardless of the outcome this weekend, though Sam Maguire success as a manager would really rubberstamp it.
They have had some great battles with each other, too. In 2022, when Galway went on to reach the final, they served up a classic, and there was a bit of needle too, which can bring further excitement.
It was a few long balls into the full-forward line that got Armagh back into that game when they were seven points down and got it level in injury time to force extra time.
I imagine Sunday's match will be similar, there isn’t much between the sides.
I’m really looking forward to the match-ups, with some of the best corner-backs up against the leading forwards.
Galway will look to kick the ball out long, and if I was Armagh, I’d be looking to take away Galway’s strength on their own kickouts.
While I think it will be an exciting game, there will be phases of controlled play that can frustrate spectators, but if we can get through those, there will be plenty to get supporters off their seats.
From a Galway perspective, they can say they have had the upper hand and look to finish Armagh off, but the Orchard County will not go away.
They are a very resilient team and well-conditioned. There is a lot of talk about the impact of the Armagh bench and that could have a significance in the last 20 minutes when the game opens up a little bit and it becomes more free-flowing.
We have seen the likes of Oisín O’Neill, Jarly Óg Burns, Ross McQuillan and Stefan Campbell coming off the bench and I think that could be the difference.
I think this will be a one-score game - we could see another All-Ireland final going to extra time. Whether it’s coming down the stretch in normal or extra time, I think Armagh will just about get over the line.
Verdict: Armagh
Barry Cullinane
I think both managers are so confident that, while it may not be an end-to-end, they will have a proper go at winning the game.
The last thing they will want is a tight, intricate game, 14 points to 13, where you come out of it on the wrong side by a point and have regrets afterwards.
Similar to the 2022 quarter-final between the two sides, I think this could be a good game. You've got quality forwards and good players on the bench.
For Galway to win, look at the match-ups. Shane Walsh will probably be happy enough that James Morgan won't be coming his way. He'd a torrid time with him a couple of years ago.
I think the thing with match-ups, the team that runs out of players first is generally the team that loses.
I think when Kieran McGeeney does his match-ups, he'll have people pinpointed for for some of Galway's top players, but I think he kind of runs out of players at two, three and four, and that's where Galway could exploit it and they might have the better players down the pecking order.
Verdict: Galway
Aaron Kernan
I think both teams will play conservatively. It's about creating a surge and a little bit of good fortune, which Armagh got against Kerry.
In Markievicz Park in the group stages, Galway were the better team, but as soon as Armagh forced turnovers and Conor Turbitt got the goal, the dynamic and momentum shifted completely.
Where I see Armagh winning is that they will stick in the game, but Galway were the better team in 2022 and last year for large parts of the game in Carrick-on-Shannon and again this year in Markievicz Park, but Galway couldn't put Armagh away.
That's the bit that Armagh can take real belief in. There will be a surge where Armagh get a purple patch and they get two or three consecutive scores. They need to make the most of that period of the game.
The experience of winning that tight game over Kerry in the semi-finals needs to be used to help them see out their biggest game ever, when they haven't been able to so it in so many big games previously.
The fact Galway know this Armagh team can't be put away is huge.
Verdict: Armagh
Philly McMahon
I can't call it. It’s not a cop-out. It’s just that when you break down two teams, you’ll look at what separates them, and there’s very little in the difference – physically, tactically, technically and psychologically.
Every reason you come up with for one team to win, the other team will counter it with something.
You could say the advantage Galway might have is that they have been in an All-Ireland already with this group, but Armagh have come through a lot of adversity. They have lost two Ulster finals on penos.
They are both built on structure and system. They don’t concede many goals. They’re really hard to break down and then they have these big players up front; Armagh have Rian O’Neill, Conor Turbitt and Rory Grugan. Galway have Damien Comer, Rob Finnerty, Shane Walsh and Paul Conroy.
They have played each other quite a bit. It wasn’t really the game we expected down in Markievicz Park in the draw during the group stage, but it sets it up nicely for this game because they were kind of sussing each other out at stage.
It’s going to be a great game, I hope.
Verdict: N/A
Watch the All-Ireland Football Championship final, Armagh v Galway, on Sunday from 2.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1.
