Celtic 3-1 Aberdeen: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Ladbrokes’ post-match review of Celtic 3-1 Aberdeen in the Premiership on Sunday, 21 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Celtic beat Aberdeen 3-1 in the Scottish Premiership. The hosts took the lead just before the break when Benjamin Nygren scored in the 39th minute, assisted by Daizen Maeda, capping off a dominant first half where Celtic controlled possession. Aberdeen were reduced to 10 men early on after Dylan Lobban’s red card in the 45+3’ minute, following Stuart Armstrong’s earlier yellow in the 18th, which shifted momentum further towards Celtic despite their recent mixed form of two losses in the last three before this win.

In the second half, Aberdeen fought back with Kenan Bilalovic pulling one back in the 74th minute, assisted by Kjartan Már Kjartansson, briefly threatening a comeback after their strong run of three wins and a draw in four prior games. But Celtic sealed the points late on, with Kieran Tierney netting in the 88th minute assisted by Colby Donovan, before James Forrest added a third in the 90+2’ minute assisted by Callum McGregor. This result gets Celtic back on track after those recent defeats, while Aberdeen’s positive streak takes a hit.

Celtic dominated possession with 73% of the ball, allowing them to dictate the tempo and create more opportunities, as shown by their eight corners compared to Aberdeen’s four. The visitors edged successful dribbles at 73 to Celtic’s 69, suggesting they posed threats on the counter despite being outnumbered after a red card, with Aberdeen picking up two yellows and one red against Celtic’s single yellow. Both sides used most of their substitutions, Celtic making four changes including Liam Scales for Luke McCowan at 69’ and James Forrest for Hyun-jun Yang at 70’, while Aberdeen deployed all five, such as Graeme Shinnie for Jesper Karlsson at 54’ and Kenan Bilalovic for Marko Lazetić at 68’, which helped them score but couldn’t prevent late concessions.

Assists favoured Celtic at three to one, underlining their sharper attacking play, and no penalties or injury-time goals beyond the noted strikes altered the flow.

The game turned decisively before half-time when Benjamin Nygren gave Celtic the lead in the 39th minute with an assist from Daizen Maeda, shortly after Aberdeen’s Stuart Armstrong earned a yellow card in the 18th for an unspecified offence. Aberdeen’s task got tougher with Dylan Lobban’s red card in the 45+3’ minute, leaving them a man down, and Celtic’s Arne Engels picked up a yellow in the 45+1’ as tensions rose. Substitutions played a role too, with Aberdeen bringing on Emmanuel Gyamfi for Topi Keskinen and Graeme Shinnie for Jesper Karlsson at 54’, while Celtic introduced Liam Scales for Luke McCowan at 69’ and Shin Yamada for Johnny Kenny at 70’.

Aberdeen clawed back through Kenan Bilalovic’s 74th-minute goal assisted by Kjartan Már Kjartansson, who had replaced Adil Aouchiche at 68’ alongside Bilalovic for Marko Lazetić. But Celtic’s late surge came via Kieran Tierney’s 88th-minute strike assisted by Colby Donovan, who had come on for Anthony Ralston at 82’, and James Forrest sealed it in the 90+2’ minute with Callum McGregor’s assist, after Forrest replaced Hyun-jun Yang at 70’. Alexander Jensen’s yellow in the 84th and his later substitution for Kevin Nisbet at 89’ couldn’t stem the tide.

Celtic lined up in a 3-4-2-1 shape, with Kieran Tierney proving influential on the left flank and Callum McGregor anchoring midfield to provide stability and an assist. Benjamin Nygren led the attack effectively, netting the opener, while Daizen Maeda’s assist highlighted strong partnerships in forward areas. James Forrest made an impact after coming on, adding a late goal, and Colby Donovan contributed an assist shortly after his introduction.

Aberdeen set up in a defensive 5-4-1 formation, relying on Stuart Armstrong in midfield before his early yellow card disrupted their plans. Kenan Bilalovic made a difference after entering as a substitute, scoring their only goal with help from Kjartan Már Kjartansson, who also came on to provide the assist. Graeme Shinnie bolstered the midfield following his substitution, but the red card to Dylan Lobban exposed vulnerabilities in their backline.

Kieran Tierney earned Ladbrokes’ Man of the Match award for his standout performance, scoring one goal and creating one big chance alongside four key passes that kept Celtic’s attack flowing. His contributions were pivotal in the late stages, helping secure the win with defensive solidity and offensive threat from the back.

Recent Premiership matches:

• Win: 3-1 vs Aberdeen (H)
• Loss: 1-2 vs Dundee United (A)
• Loss: 1-2 vs Hearts (H)
• Win: 1-0 vs Dundee (H)
• Win: 2-1 vs Hibernian (A)

Recent Premiership matches:

• Loss: 1-3 vs Celtic (A)
• Win: 2-1 vs Kilmarnock (H)
• Win: 3-1 vs Dundee (A)
• Draw: 3-3 vs St. Mirren (H)
• Win: 1-0 vs Livingston (A)

Celtic have just beaten Aberdeen 3-1, sitting second on 35 points after a form patch that included wins over Dundee and Hibernian but losses to Dundee United and Hearts. They’ll look to build on this victory and chase the top spot when they face bottom-placed Livingston, who are 12th on nine points, at home on 27 December 2025 at 15:00. A win could solidify their title push, especially against a side struggling for points.

Aberdeen have just lost 3-1 to Celtic, placing them sixth on 24 points following a decent run with wins over Kilmarnock, Dundee and Livingston plus a draw with St. Mirren. They need to bounce back to stay in the European hunt when they host Dundee United, eighth on 21 points, on 27 December 2025 at 17:45. Three points here would help close the gap on the teams above and maintain momentum after this setback.

Ladbrokes brings you the most exciting betting promotions and the latest betting offers to enhance your experience.

For the best Premiership outright predictions, explore our Outright Betting guide.

Odds and market details are accurate as of the time of publication.