Preview: Galway need perfect storm to dethrone Limerick

Another year, another Limerick-Galway All-Ireland semi-final.

The recent rivals meet at this stage for the third time in four seasons at Croke Park tonight.

The last two semis were both dogged battles that ended in three-point wins for Limerick, who went on to lift Liam MacCarthy.

They might be better off not heeding Johnny Logan's fatalistic advice but the question today is whether Galway can finally live up to their unofficial title of 'team best equipped to beat Limerick'?

In 2020, the Tribesmen were level in injury-time despite Joe Canning having been stretchered off after cutting four sideline balls over the bar.

Last year, in Henry Shefflin’s first campaign, it was a draw game after 66 minutes but David Reidy settled the contest.

This summer, Galway have been capable of the sublime and the ridiculous, often within the same match.

They were 12 points down against Dublin but fought back and their opponents needed a late free to draw.

Eight behind against Kilkenny but recovered to put one hand on the Bob O'Keeffe Cup they haven’t won since 2018 until gifting Cillian Buckley that late goal.

In the quarter-final, they dominated Tipperary physically and tactically for most of the game but still contrived to turn an eight-point advantage into a nervy two-point win.

Victory today requires a start-to-finish performance from the men in maroon that we have yet to witness this year.

Who's dancing their last dance? Live coverage of Limerick v Galway (6pm Saturday) on @rte2 and @rteplayer, with live commentary on @rteradio1 pic.twitter.com/jOywIfadoa

Limerick may have drawn with Tipp in Munster but Galway won’t get many (any?) scores like they did in the fifth minute against the Premier, when Cathal Mannion took a handpass and soloed 25m