Kilmarnock 2 Celtic 3: Araujo stuns Rugby Park with stoppage-time winner

Julian Araujo produced a late, dramatic finish as Celtic overturned a two-goal deficit to win 3-2 at Rugby Park. The champions, who had trailed after a bright first-half performance from the home side, salvaged full points deep into stoppage time to maintain momentum in a tense run-in.

How the match unfolded

Kilmarnock started brightly and took a deserved lead with a stunning curled effort from Tyreece John-Jules, leaving the away goalkeeper with little chance. The hosts were full of confidence and looked capable of holding the advantage going into the break. Celtic manager made several bold changes at half-time, introducing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tomáš Čvančara and Sebastian Tounekti, and those personnel shifts altered the dynamic.

The second half saw Celtic claw their way back. Tounekti produced a superb curling strike to make it 1-1, then Benjamin Nygren followed up with a close-range finish to level the contest. As momentum swung, Kilmarnock pressed for a response and the match became a frantic end-to-end affair, with both sides probing for the decisive blow.

With the clock already deep into added time and the score still level, Celtic forced a final scramble in the box. Araujo, operating from right-back, arrived at the far post to bury a rebound and spark wild celebration among the travelling support. The winner came in the seventh minute of stoppage time and left Kilmarnock stunned.

Turning points and tactical impact

The half-time substitutions were pivotal. The trio brought fresh energy and directness that Celtic had lacked in a cagey first 45 minutes. Tounekti’s introduction provided a different attacking angle and the Brazilian’s curling effort set the comeback in motion. Nygren’s opportunism then ensured Celtic were back on level terms and gave their bench the belief to push for all three points.

Defensively, Celtic showed resilience under pressure. After conceding early, they tightened gaps in central areas and gradually suppressed Kilmarnock’s threat down the flanks. The late winner underlined the team’s persistence and capacity to change a game through decisive action in the final moments.

What this means for Celtic’s campaign

The result will feel like two points gained rather than one lost for Kilmarnock and a huge psychological lift for the champions. For celtic fc, the comeback keeps them in touch where it matters most and reinforces a familiar narrative: this squad finds late solutions when stakes are high. Such victories can be valuable in the closing stages of a season, both in terms of league standings and team belief.

Kilmarnock will rue missed opportunities and the concession deep into stoppage time, but the performance showed they can trouble top sides when set up aggressively. For Celtic, the challenge is to translate late drama into more consistent control across matches as they chase silverware.

Ultimately, Araujo’s stoppage-time intervention will be the headline, but the match was defined by several smaller moments — an early wonder strike, a proactive set of substitutions, and an ebb and flow that produced a classic finish at Rugby Park.