Tyrone vs Donegal Preview
We’re finally at the business end of the Ulster Championship. Province powerhouses Donegal and Tyrone will battle for a spot in May’s final against Armagh or Down. It’s been a rollercoaster ride for the Red Hand County as they’ve flattered to deceive all season. Meanwhile, Donegal is rising again after the return of legendary bainisteoir, Jim McGuinness.
Tyrone scraped their way into this game after a narrow quarter-final victory over Cavan. They were comfortably ahead by eight points in the first half. But then they suffered an almighty scare. Tyrone gave away a couple of cheap goals and lost momentum. Plucky Cavan refused to give up and almost made them pay. The Red Hand men required extra time to snatch a one-point win.
Donegal produced a massive statement with a dominant victory over Derry. The Oak Leaf County were back-to-back Ulster champions and Division One winners. Almost every analyst in the country fancied them to do the treble. But Donegal scored four goals as they put Derry to the sword in style. Will they blow Tyrone away in the same fashion?
Tyrone vs Donegal Head-to-Head and Key Stats
These two counties are no strangers to each other as two of Ulster’s traditional giants. Tyrone enjoyed more success in their rivalry until 2018 when Donegal dominated. Their last meeting came in January 2024 at O’Neill’s Healy Park. Donegal booted their north-west neighbours out of the Dr McKenna Cup with a tight 0-15 to 1-10 victory.
It was Jim McGuinness’s second game in charge since his return. Oisín Gallen was the difference maker on the day. Donegal carried a five-point lead into halftime with Patrick McBrearty pegging two points. They almost scored a goal, but Peter Harte produced an impressive last-ditch block to keep out Jamie Brennan.
Tyrone almost staged an almighty comeback win. Ciaran Daly’s debut goal put them in front for the first time. But The Red Hand County couldn’t hold the lead despite their hard work. Gallen’s four points separated the sides in an impressive victory for McGuinness’s team. It wasn’t convincing, but a win is a win.
Donegal also won their clash in the Ulster SFC Preliminary Round last May. This was another tight game as they eked out a 1-13 to 1-10 victory. Donegal were favourites again, but Tyrone showed them no respect. After falling behind, they battled hard and Conor McAlliskey’s three points pulled them level. In the end, Michael Murphy’s quality proved too much. The Donegal captain scored two points from play before adding an impressive ‘45 to give Donegal a hard-fought win.
This game also showed how competitive their matches can be. Both teams went down to 14 men after Neil Gallagher and Sean Cavanagh received red cards. It’s traditionally tough to call their matches because they’re such fierce rivals. In June last year, they played again. This time, Tyrone knocked the Tír Chonaill men out of the All-Ireland Championship, so they know how to win when it counts. Donegal lost their first-choice goalkeeper, Shaun Patton, to a red card as they lost by eight points.
Donegal carries the favorites tag into this game but it’s not a given that they’ll win. Betting on this football match feels more one-sided than it should. Yes, Tyrone rode their luck against a plucky Cavan side, but they always stepped up against Donegal. It’s rarely a blowout even when they lose to their regional rivals. Meanwhile, despite their recent success, Donegal is still a team in transition. They had a fantastic victory over Derry, but the form matters little when they face Tyrone.
Fixture Confirmed 🔜
We'll play Donegal in the @UlsterGAA Senior Football Championship semi-final next Sunday at Celtic Park.
⏰ Sunday 28th April at 2.00pm #Ulster2024 #ExperienceTheUnforgettable pic.twitter.com/c2ZwuoGcUl
— Tyrone GAA (@TyroneGAALive) April 21, 2024
Shaun Patton and Oisin Gallen will be key for Donegal in this game. Patton is emerging as one of the best goalkeepers in Ireland now. His laser-like kickouts are an incredible asset to his team due to his accuracy. He also chips in with the occasional point like Dublin’s Stephen Cluxton.
We’ve already lavished praise on Gallen, the county’s most important sharp-shooter. The Ballybofey star is an outstanding young player and emerging as Donegal’s answer to Colm Cooper. Now he’s finally injury-free and Donegal is reaping the rewards. He’ll be licking his lips at the prospect of facing Tyrone’s leaky defence.
Tyrone’s Mattie Donnelly said that Donegal is the clear favourite because of their extra rest days. Maybe he’s playing mind games, but he has a point. Tyrone will depend on Darragh Canavan to get the points to pull off a major shock.
We expect a close game, especially because it’s in neutral territory at Celtic Park. Donegal should have enough to snatch a narrow victory over their rivals. Their success is growing and they are riding a wave of confidence after their win over Derry. This may benefit Tyrone because there are fewer expectations for them to get a result. Can they upset the odds?
Tyrone vs Donegal predictions.
Prediction: Tyrone 1-10 to 2-12 Donegal
We predict Donegal will be victorious in this upcoming Ulster final. They’ve proven they have the firepower to beat strong teams like Derry. Meanwhile, Tyrone has shown their vulnerabilities and leaked scores against Cavan. Donegal will score two goals, while Tyrone will only score once.
It’s tricky to bet on GAA games at the best of times. This is a semi-final, so it’s even more challenging because both teams will be up for it. In recent games between these two teams, there wasn’t much to separate them on the field. However, Donegal is in a better place and is riding momentum.
Their four goals against Derry show that they’re coming into their own. An Oisin Gallen penalty, a brace from Daire Ó Baoill and one from Jamie Brennan sealed the deal. Jim McGuinness also increased his record against Mickey Harte to 4-0 as he showed why he’s one of the sport’s top managers.
Meanwhile, Donegal should have Paddy McBrearty back after his recent calf injury. It’s a different story for Tyrone who had a gruelling game against Cavan. They went to extra-time and barely scraped over the line. If the Canavan brothers and Michael McKernan fire on all cylinders, they’ll have a fighting chance. This game will likely resemble their previous encounter. We expect Tyrone to go down fighting, but Donegal will probably have too much for their north-western rivals to handle.
Our GAA prediction for this semi-final is that Donegal will beat Tyrone and go to the Ulster Championship final. Live betting on Donegal to maintain an early lead would be sensible because they’ve got an extra bit of quality. Check out your options on our sports betting site before committing to a wager.
Tyrone vs Donegal Betting Tips
Betting on GAA is challenging at the best of times. Donegal is enjoying a better moment than Tyrone right now. They’re favourites at 1 to 2, so if you bet €10 on Donegal to win, you would make five euros.
Their form shows that betting on Donegal is the sensible option right now. Our online sports betting site has a Tyrone victory as a big upset. Even if Tyrone takes an early lead, the Tír Chonaill men have the firepower to turn it around. If you disagree, there’s plenty of money to make on backing Tyrone. They’re justifiable 2 to 1 underdogs, so backing them is risky. But a successful €10 bet would see a €20 profit, so we can see why it would be tempting.
There’s never been a better time to bet on the outright winner of the Ulster Championship. Derry was the overwhelming favourite to claim an unprecedented third consecutive crown. But that was before Donegal shocked them. Now Jim McGuinness’ team is leading the pack as 13/10 favourites. That means a successful €10 bet would see returns of €23.
https://twitter.com/TyroneGAALive/status/1782512681024434322
A good prop bet could be to back Oisin Gallen to score first. The prolific Donegal forward is the favourite at 6/1. You can back him to score anytime at 7/4 so a €10 would see a €17.50 profit. Another interesting market is the half with the most goals. Tyrone leaks goals in the second half, so this could be an excellent opportunity to exploit. Remember, this is a semi-final. The stakes will be high and both teams will keep coming.
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