Dundee vs Maccabi Haifa

Maccabi Haifa's second goal in the 17th minute — Azoulay's strike so early in the contest — effectively settled the match. Dundee had barely settled into the game when they found themselves two goals down, and despite controlling large spells of the second half, the damage was done. The slow start cost Pressley's side any realistic chance of a win.

Joe Bevan (Dundee) — The winger, signed from non-league in January, grabbed Dundee's only goal with a composed finish in the 59th minute. His movement and work rate offered Dundee their brightest attacking moments.

Yair Mordechai (Maccabi Haifa) — The opener inside seven minutes set the tone. His early run and finish demonstrated the kind of sharpness that comes from being deeper into pre-season than their Scottish opponents.

Ethan Azoulay (Maccabi Haifa) — Doubled the lead in the 17th minute, effectively ending the contest before the half-hour mark.

Dundee's pre-season schedule had included a 2-1 win over Hungarian side Paksi two days earlier, so the squad was not short of match sharpness. However, the concession of two goals in the opening 17 minutes suggests defensive organisation remains a work in progress under Pressley.

The fact that Maccabi Haifa's Israeli league season ended in May, giving them a longer off-season break, might have been expected to favour Dundee, yet it was the Israeli side who looked sharper in the opening exchanges.

Dundee's second-half improvement — culminating in Bevan's goal — offered a more encouraging picture, but the failure to score a second despite sustained pressure is a concern Pressley will want to address before the Scottish Premiership season begins.

For Dundee, this was the final match of their pre-season camp in Hungary. The result leaves them with two wins and two defeats from four friendlies in the build-up to the 2026-27 Scottish Premiership campaign. The Dark Blues face another friendly against Brechin City on 8 July before the competitive season begins.

Maccabi Haifa continued their own pre-season preparations with a confidence-boosting victory. The Israeli side followed this with a match against Paksi on 8 July.

The match generated significant off-field controversy. Dundee faced fierce backlash from sections of their fanbase for scheduling the fixture against an Israeli side, with supporters citing the ongoing conflict in Gaza. A pro-Palestinian group called "Show Israeli Genocide the Red Card" urged fans to contact the club and demand the game be called off.

Dundee FC, whose city has been twinned with Nablus in Palestine since 1980, pressed ahead with the fixture despite the protests. The club's social media post confirming the match attracted hundreds of critical replies.

Writing in The Courier, columnist George Cran described the match as "a mistake" the club should have avoided.

A pre-season friendly defined more by its off-field context than the action on the pitch. On the field, Maccabi Haifa's clinical early finishing was the difference against a Dundee side that improved after the break but left themselves too much to do. Bevan's goal was a bright spot for Pressley, but the defensive fragilities exposed in the first 17 minutes will need attention before the real business begins.