CELTIC 3 ABERDEEN 1 Sunday 21 December 2025 William Hill Premiership Celtic Park Referee: David Dickinson
A valiant effort from Aberdeen, who played the entire second half with ten men, was undone in the dying moments as Celtic scored two late goals to snatch a draw away from the Dons.
After Thursday night’s defeat in Prague, there were five changes for Aberdeen, with the return of Nicky Devlin as skipper, Stuart Armstrong, Alexander Jensen, Marko Lazetic and Topi Keskinen. Graeme Shinnie, Leighton Clarkson and Kevin Nisbet were on the bench, with Dante Polvara and Alfie Dorrington missing from the matchday squad.
Celtic lost 2-1 at Tannadice on Wednesday night and there were two changes to their side with Reo Hatate and Paulo Bernardo replaced by Arne Engels and Erik Nygren.
The Dons started well, a driving run from Armstrong giving Jensen a crossing opportunity that won a fourth minute corner. Celtic responded on six, Kenny squandering an open goal, completely missing his kick as Maeda’s excellent cross offered him a tap-in.
Engels had a real sight of goal in the eighth minute, a knockdown on the edge of the box giving him a great shooting chance from 20 yards, but he blazed the ball over the bar.
A run forward and pass in behind by Keskinen gave Lazetic a chance to threaten momentarily, but Trusty came across to make a fine saving tackle in the tenth minute. Lazetic went down under a challenge from Trusty after 13 minutes, the centre-back hauling him to the ground, the Aberdeen man needing treatment before he carried on. Five minutes later, as Celtic tried to break from an Aberdeen free-kick, Armstrong was booked for making sure Nygren wasn’t going to sprint away.
Lovely possession football from the Dons ended with Keskinen being threaded through by Jesper Karlsson, only to be denied by another sliding tackle from Trusty.
Celtic started to turn up the wick midway through the half, keeping Aberdeen blocked back into their own half, McGregor trying to win a penalty with a theatrical dive after colliding with Karlsson. Moments later, as Knoester and Dimitar Mitov got in each other’s way at a corner, the ball dropped for Maeda who somehow pulled his shot wide from six yards out, a real sitter missed on 28 minutes.
Celtic pressure nearly paid off on 32, Nygren playing a neat one-two to get into a shooting position, Mitov taking his angled drive full in the face to make the save.
A mix up at the back gave Kenny another glorious chance on 35, the ball passed back to Mitov on his wrong foot, Celtic pouncing on his weak clearance, but Kenny’s shot swung across the face of goal and dribbled wide of the post.
The dam finally burst in the 39th minute. After Lobban was dispossessed, neat passing play down their left saw McCowan get Maeda on the run, and his precise cross found Nygren eight yards to find a finish for 1-0.
Aberdeen responded sharply, winning a corner as Adil Aouchiche’s shot was deflected wide on 40 minutes. The Dons kept the ball alive after the flag kick, Keskinen crashing a shot at goal from a tight angle that Schmeichel pawed behind. From that corner, Karlsson was picked out on the edge of the box. Ralston blocked the first effort but from the rebound, Karlsson was wide of the target.
Mitov kept the Dons in touch on 44, tipping a swerving drive from McCowan over the bar in acrobatic fashion.
Heading into first half added time, Engels became the first Celtic man booked, carded for a tackle on Keskinen as Aberdeen tried to get back on terms at the end of the half. From the free-kick, Celtic looked to spring a counter-attack with a long ball forward. Mitov collected it 35 yards out from his goal and played a square pass to Lobban. But it was too short and Maeda was onto it first, giving the young full-back no option but to pull the Celtic man back. The referee administered a straight red card to the youngster.
HALF-TIME: CELTIC 1 ABERDEEN 0
The Dons switched to a back four for the second half, but it was the man behind them who was busy in the first couple of minutes, Mitov first saving a header and then making an incredible stop to somehow palm a McGregor shot over the bar, the Celtic skipper pausing to applaud the save.
The Dons then got away with one on 49 as Nygren’s cross sailed over everyone, hit the inside of the far post and bounced back into Mitov’s arms as Celtic simply blitzed the Aberdeen rear-guard. Next Mitov was diving to his right to parry away a 25 yarder from Ralston, then another cross, this time from Engels, beat everyone only to thump the back post once again on 52.
Amid the Celtic pressure, Aberdeen brought on Graeme Shinnie and Emmanuel Gyamfi for Karlsson and Keskinen after 53 minutes as they reverted to the back three.
Another big intervention from Mitov on 62, McCowan drilling a low cross into the six-yard box, the goalkeeper getting enough of a hand on the ball to divert it away from the oncoming Maeda and Kenny.
Celtic found the woodwork again on 63, a flying header from Engels flying from six yards out flashing past Mitov only to hit the post – again, it was a real sitter missed.
Bilalovic and Kjartansson came on for the Dons on 68, the Icelandic midfielder making his debut – Lazetic and Aouchiche made way. Yamada, Scales and Forrest joined the fray for the hosts in place of McCowan, Kenny and Yang two minutes later. Almost immediately, Nygren drilled a shot across goal and just wide from the edge of the area.
Forrest had his first chance on 73, Celtic moving smoothly down the right to create the shooting chance on the edge of the six-yard box, Mitov parrying the shot clear.
Mitov’s saves got full value on 74 when Aberdeen got themselves level. Kjartansson was too strong for Maeda, outmuscling him on halfway, then slipping a precise, slide rule ball into the run of Bilalovic. He accelerated towards Schmeichel and smashed a shot through the Dane and in.
Celtic kept throwing everyone forward, Ralston bending a shot wide of goal from fully 25 yards on 80 minutes as the home fans began to get restless with their side.
Bilalovic wasn’t far off a second on 81, Jensen doing well to intercept a pass and then play a lovely pass forward into Bilalovic’s run. The angle was much tighter this time and Schmeichel was able to save at his near post. Ralston was replaced by Donovan a minute later. Jensen was booked for delaying a Celtic free-kick after 84 minutes.
Celtic finally found the second goal on 88 minutes, Donovan’s ball from the right flank evading everyone, Tierney popping up behind Jensen at the back post to nod in from three yards. Nisbet immediately replaced Jensen.
It was a vain move for on 92, Scales, Nygren and McGregor combined to set up Forrest to slot in from eight yards to seal the win.
Celtic: Schmeichel, Ralston (Donovan 82), Trusty, Tierney, Yang (Yamada 70), McGregor, Engels, McCowan (Scales 70), Nygren, Kenny (Forrest 70), Maeda.
Subs not used: Sinisalo, Murray, Simpson-Pusey, Inamura, Bernardo.
Goals: Nygren (39), Tierney (88), Forrest (90+2).
Booked: Engels.
Aberdeen: Mitov, Lobban, Devlin, Knoester, Milne, Jensen (Nisbet 89), Armstrong, Aouchiche (Kjartansson 69), Keskinen (Gyamfi 53), Karlsson (Shinnie 53), Lazetic (Bilalovic 68).
Subs not used: Suman, Heltne Nilsen, Clarkson, Milanovic.
Goal: Bilalovic (74).
Sent off: Lobban.
Booked: Armstrong, Jensen.
