Cork senior GAA manager John Cleary said he is hoping Donegal’s encounter last weekend will have taken plenty out of Jim McGuinness’ men.
The sides square up tomorrow at Páirc Uí Rinn with throw-in at 2.30pm in the All-Ireland SFC Group 3 Round 2 clash.
Cleary is aware that Donegal are the only team in the country that can boast an unbeaten run this year.
He is hoping that they can also reverse the league fixture which saw his side go down by 11 points to the Ulster kingpins.
“We have seen from far out really that Donegal are a very formidable team.
“We played them in the first match in the league and that day they beat us by 11 points, so we got the first pasting from them really.
“Even since then, they went to Derry and won, beat Tyrone after extra-time, beat Armagh after extra-time, and the last day they were playing at home, and they put in that performance against Tyrone. It was probably the best performance of any team this year. We will be hoping that game took a bit out of them.
“We are well warned but we are ready for it, and we have prepared accordingly. We knew from the last few weeks that it was the Ulster champions that we would have in Páirc Uí Rinn. So, as I said, we have been preparing for this, and we intend putting our best foot forward on Saturday.”
“The transformation under Donegal has been remarkable this season under Jim McGuinness in what is his first campaign back at the helm. Their ability to mix things up has been particularly eye-catching, so efficient with and without the ball.
“Donegal can play in two or three different ways.”
But Cleary says he has to concentrate on what his side can offer.
“We will have our game plan and we will do the things we think we are good at. That’s all we can do. We can’t worry an awful lot about what they will do. The first thing is we will have to do the things that we are good at and then when we haven’t the ball, obviously we will have to try and limit their effectiveness.
“It won’t be easy, but we have a plan as well and hopefully that will be effective on Saturday.”
Jim McGuinness is hoping as many fans as possible make the trip down south as he has already spoken about the support and their sixteenth player.
The game is not being broadcast live or streamed.
