Westmeath and Galway, two teams donning maroon-and-white colors, are set to face each other on Saturday evening.
Click for livescores from Westmeath v Galway
Although they share the same colors, they have only crossed paths on the championship pitch once before in 2006, with Westmeath emerging victorious. Their last competitive meeting occurred in the 2015 Allianz League, where Galway narrowly won a Division 2 game.
2023 Championship Galway enters the match with a strong start to the championship, having defeated Tyrone in their previous game. On the other hand, Westmeath suffered a loss to Armagh in Round 1. Both teams will be eager to secure a victory in this crucial encounter.
Galway’s Journey Galway’s path in the championship has seen them triumph over Roscommon and Sligo in the Connacht semi-final and final, respectively. Additionally, they clinched a hard-fought victory against Tyrone in the All-Ireland Group 2 match. Their top scorers so far include Matthew Tierney with 2-10, Damien Comer with 1-5, and Shane Walsh with 0-10 (0-8 from frees).
Westmeath’s Journey Westmeath faced a setback in their opening match, where they were defeated by Louth in the Leinster quarter-final. They continued their campaign in the All-Ireland Group 3, where they suffered a narrow one-point loss to Armagh. Westmeath’s key contributors in terms of scoring have been John Heslin with 0-9 (0-5 from frees), Ronan O’Toole with 2-2, and Luke Loughlin with 0-5 (including a ’45’).
Noteworthy Fact Padraic Joyce and Dessie Dolan, the managers of Galway and Westmeath respectively, were former players who participated in the previous championship clash between the two teams in 2006. Dolan even captained Westmeath in their one-point victory.
Galway’s Form Galway has been dominant in recent championship games, securing victories in nine out of their last ten matches. Their only defeat in this stretch came against Kerry in the previous year’s All-Ireland final. Galway’s impressive run includes wins against Mayo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Armagh, and Derry in the last season, and victories over Roscommon, Sligo, and Tyrone this year.
Both teams will be highly motivated to secure a win in this encounter and advance further in the championship. Bookies expect Galway to win by 8pts.
Starting Teams for Westmeath v  GalwayÂ
