WHICH IS GREATER: the unstoppable force or the immovable object?

Let’s see on Saturday as Gaelic football’s highest-scoring attack meets its most parsimonious defence.

Dublin have averaged 2-20 in their championship outings. Galway have leaked less than 13 points per game in theirs.

For the Tribesmen, it continues a remarkable defensive effort across the year. In 14 league and championship games, they have recorded an incredible 11 shutouts. Tiernan Kelly’s goal is the only time they’ve allowed a green flag in the championship.

These are trends which have stretched back over 24 months.

That goal at Markievicz Park was Galway’s first time allowing a green flag away from home in 11 games dating back to April 2023.

Last year, Galway kept nine clean sheets in 14 attempts. In the other five games, they only conceded one goal in each. Their two championship concessions came against Roscommon and, fatally, Mayo.

Such low hit rates have taken some work to achieve. Pádraic Joyce’s embarrassment at being mugged for 3-22 by Mayo in October 2020 was an initial watershed moment which they trimmed to 0-14 by the Connacht final that year, albeit still ending in defeat.

In 2022, the year they reached the All-Ireland final, Galway conceded 1-20, 1-20, and 2-16 to Roscommon between a final-round league meeting, Division 2 final, and Connacht final. In another spring wobble, they allowed five goals in a week to Cork and Offaly. In the All-Ireland quarter-final, they coughed up three goals to Armagh’s Hail Marys.

In those days, Joyce spoke about finding consistency of performance and avoiding those moments where they switch off.

When it did go wrong earlier in the season, Mayo doubled up and Derry took three goals from Salthill, including a penalty in each game. But it says much that for all the injuries and absentees they’ve had to endure, their defence has kept the show on the road.

Liam Silke and Kieran Molloy were away for the 2023 campaign alongside injured full-back Seán Mulkerrin, who also missed their Croke Park run.

Former minor captain Johnny McGrath stepped seamlessly into the defence to take on the role of primary man-marker. He was joined by Cian Hernon in making his championship debut later that summer. Both won an All-Ireland U20 title with Galway in 2020.

Since Seán Kelly has been utilised higher up the field, their reshaped full-back line has often been the same as that which claimed that U20 crown: McGrath, Sean Fitzgerald, and Jack Glynn.

Mulkerrin’s return has seen him enter the rotation but that trio remains firmly among the first-choice starters alongside Dylan McHugh and Silke. That’s saying something given 2022 All-Star John Daly has found himself on the bench for the last couple of games.

Kelly is no longer full-back but still plays a key role shielding the defence which will be vital against the Dubs.

The All-Ireland champions scored 22 points at Pearse Stadium in the league with nine of those coming from Con O’Callaghan, comprising five frees, three from play, and a mark. Deciding how best to limit the Cuala dangerman will influence their defensive structure.

O’Callaghan’s All-Star form, scoring 4-10 from play, is a boost from last year and they are armed with a wider spread of heavy scorers than any other county between Cormac Costello (2-25), Paul Mannion (1-15), and Colm Basquel (2-11). Galway will have to account for each of Dublin’s threats.

The Tribesmen are unbeaten in seven, the Dubs in 15. One of those streaks will be stopped on Saturday.